


The Wizard That Ran With Wolves

by Hockey_Lover31



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Abusive Dursley Family (Harry Potter), Bad Friend Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Best Friends Stiles Stilinski and Harry Potter, F/M, Good Alpha Derek Hale, Harry Hid His Smarts b/c Abuse, Harry is a Little Shit, M/M, Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Mental Health Issues, Parseltongue, Sheriff Stilinski is a great dad, Smart Harry Potter, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Teen Wolf Werewolves not Harry Potter Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:35:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28474032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hockey_Lover31/pseuds/Hockey_Lover31
Summary: Harry wasn't a complete idiot. There was a reason he had gotten good Newt and Owl Scores and it wasn't just because Hermione had helped...okay not fully at least. So when his friend Stiles and Stiles' friend Scott started acting strange Harry had noticed. It was hard not to notice how more withdrawn into Scott that Stiles had become. It sort of just got confirmed when a weird lizard-boy thing that speaks Parseltongue had entered the police station one day when he entered the station with the intent to question the Sheriff if he noticed anything off with Stiles. Harry was once again thrown into the supernatural, this time he just wasn't complaining.Note: Harry is 16 when Wizardry War Happened, not 17. The first few chapters set before Season 1, Stiles and Scott are 15.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Jordan Parrish/Harry Potter, Lydia Martin/Jackson Whittemore, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Comments: 76
Kudos: 500





	1. Sheriff Stilinski

Harry knew he had been done with the wizardry world when he had literally died for it and they didn't care. Oh, they celebrated that Voldemort was gone, celebrated for nearly a week straight, never checking up on their actual savior unless it was to hound him for future plans with the Ministry or his position as an Auror.

The only ones that really cared for him and his mental health were his friends. They were the reason he hadn't gone insane. But his self-isolation meant he didn't even have them.

But then Fawkes had come to him after the war, just suddenly arrived when Harry was at his most down with regret and self-isolation from causing Remus, Tonks, and Fred's death, he felt like he had been drowning, clawing for something to grab onto and pull himself up, never learning how to swim.

Fawkes arrived, and Harry felt like he finally had something he could grab and, while not breaching the water, could handle being under it just a bit more. Kreacher had come to him nearly a week afterward, tears in his eyes, asking to be his Personal House Elf despite him knowing Harry probably didn't want to do anything with him after causing Sirius' death.

Harry just took the sad creature into his arm and gave him a long hug, something the House Elf never had before Regulus had done it. Because if there was one thing Harry understood, it was the anger that festered under the skin after being abused for nearly his whole life and agreed for Kreacher to be his Personal House Elf.

Maybe under his thumb, Kreacher wouldn't be as filled with hate and anger as he was with Sirius or even Sirius' mother. And in a way, Kreacher reminded Harry of Dobby. Where Dobby cowered under his abuse and his previous-families rule, Kreacher turned to anger and siding with the mistress he knew best because that meant less abuse at the time. Their mental health had been manipulated, it wasn't Kreacher's fault for the way he was, and Harry knew that.

It was nearly two weeks after the war ended that Harry knew he needed to get away from England and the wizardry world, head to a place with little magical presence, and just breath. Well, he says he realized it, it was more like Andromeda had realized it for him after he nearly spent two days with her just cuddling Teddy with Fawkes on his shoulder soothing both Harry and Teddy when either got agitated or upset.

And Harry, Harry just agreed with her, because logically he knew that he did need to get away from England. He _wanted_ to get away from Witches and Wizards and anything that went bump in the middle of the night. So, with Andy's help, Harry had been emancipated, something that the Ministry should've informed him of when he had done the Triwizard Tournament, as you were considered an adult if you are in the tournament, got a passport, a Visa (with the help from the Goblins who he paid for when he broke in and then for the actual Visa), packed up what little he wanted to keep with him, shrunk it down to fit in his pocket after putting most of his changing clothes in a backpack that once belonged to Ted for College, and said goodbye to Andy and Teddy with the promise of visits.

After that, he just turned to Fawkes. "Why don't you pick where we go, buddy?" he asked the Phoenix who doesn't seem to be leaving him any time soon apparently.

Fawkes gave a trill that reminded him of a happy Hedwig and then he was encased in fire. It didn't hurt, in fact, Harry had to say that in the few seconds he was engulfed, he had felt the calmest and happiest he ever remembered. His blood literally singing under Fawkes fire which didn't surprise him as the Phoenix Tears still coursed through his veins.

When the fire died down, Harry and Fawkes stood at the edge of some town, the sign in front of them read: Welcome to Beacon Hills!

Looking around and only seeing mostly forest, Harry knew that this was a small town. A small town that he knew he would fall in love with. After all, while the wizardry world had failed him in so many ways, he did like the small population where almost everyone knew everyone. He never had that growing up really, the Dursley made it so many of their neighbors just ignored the Weird Potter Boy and never got to know him.

Maybe here, without his family, without his friends, Harry could finally find himself and really thrive.

* * *

Settling in the town was weird. He hadn't actually been correct in assuming Beacon Hills was a small town, it was actually a small city which somehow made it better for Harry because it meant he didn't have to know everyone but could still know the majority of the people where he was going to settle.

Harry's first order for when they arrived was finding a motel to crash in for a couple of days. His money had long since been converted from Gallons onto a Gringotts Credit-Card, which Harry was still surprised they even mentioned it to him since they seemed to hate him right now, but since the alternative was transferring the Potter and whatever other fortunes he got from dying families to Muggle Cash to a bank, he supposed Gringotts had no choice but in mentioning the card. After the motel would be tracking down a realtor and finding an actual house or apartment to live in, Harry wasn't picky. He had the money but he was living by himself and he never had anything glamourous in his life. He didn't even feel the teenage urge to spend his cash that much, to him it was just a means to an end.

Of course, none of this mattered when as he was walking into town and Fawkes just suddenly disappearing a car pulled up next to him with the words Sheriff along the sides. "Are you okay, Young Man?" The man asked inside as he rolled down the window after Harry stopped walking.

"Uh, yeah?" Harry awkwardly said as he took note of the man.

He had brown hair where under certain lighting it might look like he had bit of gray hair, though Harry supposed his hair was actually turning gray in certain strands. It was hard to tell under this lighting, but Harry thought the man had bluish eyes that had wrinkles along the corner of them, telling him that he often smiled a lot. But what really got Harry was the concern that radiated from the officer.

"You don't sound so sure about that. Where're your parents?" The man asked.

"Dead," Harry bluntly said then gave a small shrug when he realized how untactful that was when the man winced, "I've just recently come to America. Was kinda just...hoping to find a place to live here," Harry murmured feeling like he should be bolting but not having many options of where to go.

He glanced toward the forest but shrugged it off. He didn't know exactly what state Fawkes had dropped them in, Harry didn't exactly want to die from some animal in the woods if he could help it, which meant if he had to bolt it would be following the road, not the best of plans he had to say.

"Are you meeting anyone here? Maybe I can give you a ride?" The man asked with clear concern on his face.

Harry shrugged not wanting to answer but knowing the man was only asking out of concern, "I don't have anyone," Harry answered truthfully.

"Friends?" The man pressured.

Wincing because yes, Harry did have friends, but he didn't really want to talk to them right now. Not after the pain he caused them, they shouldn't be his friends, not after what he dragged them into. He knew the Weasley Family didn't hate him, but how could they not when he was the reason that Fred was dead? That Bill was more than likely a werewolf right now with how deep those wounds looked.

Not that it would be the end for Bill, Remus had set him aside while he had been staying with Sirius once and answered each and every one of Harry's questions about werewolves because all the books in the Wizardry World were bigots that didn't know shite.

But Remus told him the truth. That there were three stages in a way for a werewolf. Now, Remus' family was that of Werewolf Hunters, the reason Remus had been accidentally bitten when he was still a toddler, so he never had a pack that would accept him just because of his last name. As a result, Remus was always considered an Omega Werewolf until he entered Hogwarts and became pack with Sirius and James which calmed his wolf considerably and made him from an Omega to a Beta Werewolf.

The last stage that a werewolf could be was an Alpha werewolf, they often had red eyes and the leaders of the pack. But like most things in life, red eyes didn't mean they controlled the pack, it had to be something the pack accepted, and they weren't always wolves either. For Remus, James had actually been the Alpha in their pack, mostly because while he could be a prankster, he was certainly had the leadership he grew into while Sirius stayed more of his non-serious self.

They had gone over more details about werewolves, the most considerably wrong thing that the Magical World got wrong was that werewolves only changed once a month on the full moon, but like Fenrir Greyback, werewolves could actually change whenever they had a strong anchor or if they went feral. Now, with a hunter family that changed their lifestyle after Remus was changed, he was never truly feral and instead had a strong anchor so he was fine for a long time.

Harry pushed all these thoughts aside as he remembered the man in front of him. "No. No friends, no family," Harry told him as he fiddled with the strap on the backpack, still thinking it was weird for something to be on his back.

The man sighed and looked slightly pained for a moment. Harry spotted the moment he seemed to make up his mind. "Come on kid," the man said with a sigh as Harry heard the door unlock, "you can come and stay with me for a few days. Well, me and my kid Stiles. I hope he doesn't talk his ear off to you," the man said as he seemed to run his hand does his face, looking older than he did a few seconds ago.

"I thought kids weren't supposed to get in stranger's cars?" Harry asked even as he opened the door and slid into the police cruiser. He knew he probably shouldn't, but he also knew Fawkes wouldn't have left him if someone meant harm to him. Plus, if he was in danger Harry had his wand in the magically hidden Wand Holster on his arm that with a flick he'd have in his hand. All he'd have to do was Stupify the man and call for Fawkes and they'd be gone once more.

The man winced as if he hadn't realized what his words sounded like until that moment as he seemed to refrain from face-palming and instead just stared at Harry a little incredulously which made Harry want to fidget in his seat. "Then why the hell did you get in the car?" the man nearly shouted.

Harry shrugged and just shrunk in his seat, almost wishing for Fawkes to just reappear in his lap, Harry would love to run his fingers down Fawkes' back and just relax by having something to do. He remembered doing it with Hedwig nearly all the time, especially in the second and fourth year when most of Hogwarts had pushed Harry aside.

He didn't have friends during those years, so he stayed with the one friend he still had.

The man stared at Harry a little bit longer but just sighed in slight agitation as he realized he wouldn't be getting an answer. "Come on, let's just go home," the man said sounding exhausted.

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," Harry finally introduced after a few minutes on the road, having realized he didn't know the Officer--Sheriff he corrected seeing the badge on the man's uniform--name.

"Sheriff Noah Stilinski," the man greeted with a small smile like he also just realized he practically did take in Harry with neither of them knowing the other's name.

Harry paused to stare at the man but had to ask, "Did you really name your kid Stiles Stilinski?"

The Sheriff just gave a huff of a laugh looking amused but seemingly heard that question before. "God no, he just likes being called that," the man said with a small shake of a head before refocusing back on the deserted road.

Briefly, Harry wondered how it was so dark out and looked at the time realizing blatantly that it was 8 hours from when he left. Had he and Fawkes really be traveling that long? But wait, no he remembered from the school books he read over the summer from doing Dudley's Summer School Homework that there were different time zones in the world. Perhaps wherever Fawkes had dropped them off, it was eight hours ahead of the UK?

Yeah, that made more sense. Relaxing in his seat not realizing how much he tensed, Harry just enjoyed the darkness and silence of the car until they arrived at a four-bedroom house.

Harry had shuffled his way behind the Sheriff wondering if he really was heading to his death even as he followed the man into the house. "No way, Scott! I totally beat your score!" a young voice shouted from the living room where Harry could hear someone smashing buttons or something.

The Sheriff shut the front door, a little loudly to Harry but he understood why when a voice shouted from the living room, "Be there in a second, Daddio! Talk to you tomorrow, Scotty Boy!" and Harry could hear something being set down on a table before quick footsteps came toward them.

Harry sent a frantic look toward the Sheriff, feeling so out of his element and having no idea what was going on. The Sheriff just laughed quietly and clapped Harry on the shoulder, his eyes narrowing when Harry flinched and stepped away from the movement.

"Dad you're late! You better not have stopped by that fast food place and gotten a burger! I told you they're not healt...and you're not a burger," the boy awkwardly said as he skidded in front of the duo at the front door.

Harry said the first thing on his mind. "No, but I'm sure if you grill me I can sizzle under your touch," feeling horrified for his mouth Harry rushed into speaking more, "Wait that came out wrong. Not that I'm no saying your cute, cause you are in the young kid way, but not in a pedophile way. I'm not a pedophile, not like you're dad who just took me off the streets after telling me to get in his car. But that doesn't mean he's a pedophile, he could just be a serial killer. Not that I'm saying he is, I should stop talking."

During Harry's ramble, he had gotten one amused yet slightly exasperated set of eyes while the other was looking at him with awe and glee. "Yes! I told you I'm not the only one to ramble in awkward situations!" the boy gleefully said as he turned his eyes from Harry to his father.

The man just sighed and rubbed at his eyes like he was too old for this shit which didn't help Harry feel better. In fact, Harry clamped his mouth shut and could feel his teeth digging into his lip slightly from forcefully keeping his mouth shut. He had no idea what he was doing, this was worse than when he was meeting the Weasley family which consisted of Molly Weasley shouting at her children after they had rescued him from the Dursleys.

"Back to what's happening," the Sheriff interjected before his son could say anything more, "this is Harry, he'll be staying with us for a bit while he gets back on his feet. Don't mind me asking, but what's your age, Harry?" The Sheriff asked.

"Uh, sixteen," Harry muttered awkwardly, clamping his mouth shut before it could say anything unfiltered. One time was enough for today, Harry just wanted to crash and call for Fawkes for some reassurance, that is if his friend hasn't abandoned him.

Just thinking it Harry could feel his heart twinge at really being alone but then he felt something tug in his chest. Remus had once mentioned something werewolves could feel called Pack Bonds, some stronger than others, and briefly wondered if Phoenix's had something familiar because the tug could be nothing but Fawkes.

With the reassurance his friend hadn't left him, Harry relaxed slightly and paid back attention to the Sheriff for his question, "Will you be joining Beacon Hills High School?"

Feeling slight panic Harry just shrugged. "I, uh, stopped going to school around eleven," he muttered remembering that Hogwarts schooling wasn't the same thing as muggle schooling at all, he was probably really behind even with doing Dudley's schoolwork during the summer. "I've done some schoolwork during the summer, but I don't know what grade I"m in," he admitted.

The Sheriff just gave Harry a kind smile even as he turned toward his son. "Stiles, why don't you make sure the guest bedroom is ready," he directly hinted toward his son.

Stiles looked like he wanted to argue, but then he looked between his father and where Harry was sure he was trying to curl into himself and just nodded with a look toward his father that told Harry the two were going to be talking behind his back.

Harry didn't think he particularly liked the idea but left it alone as he tried to stare at anything but the Sheriff. "Harry," the Sheriff calmly said as he knelt in front of Harry and placed his hand on his shoulder, "everything's going to be okay. We'll figure things out. But I suppose that can wait till tomorrow. Why don't we get you a nice warm shower or bath, and then you can rest?" The Sheriff asked softly.

Harry practically collapsed with relief even as the Sheriff's hand was still on his shoulder. "Yeah. I'd think I'd like that," Harry admitted as the Sheriff lead him upstairs.

"Do you have some clothes you can change into? If you don't I'm sure we have some things around for you to change into," The Sheriff asked as he rubbed Harry's shoulder softly with comfort.

Never really feeling anything like it as the Weasley Adults, after realizing Harry's aversion to touch, mostly just avoided touching him when they weren't giving him suffocating hugs. Harry had just taken to avoiding their touch even more after one of Molly Weasley's hugs. "I have some I can change into," Harry whispered as he hugged his stomach in self-comfort, feeling a little bit better after doing it.

The man looked dubious but obviously left Harry to the bathroom after grabbing some towels and showing Harry how to turn on the shower and what's the different bottles were. After realizing Harry was looking a little overwhelmed, he just gave Harry an understanding smile and just said he'll turn the water on for him and that if he has trouble turning it off he can just call for him to turn it off.

With that, the shower was on, leaving Harry in the bathroom with his backpack on the toilet seat and him standing awkwardly there. Going through the motions and knowing he did have his pajamas in the backpack, Harry undressed, set his wand on top of the folded dirty clothes still hidden with magic, and stepped into the shower.

Even after having a shower at Andy's, the warm water helped Harry become less tense and clear his clouded mind. Harry still had no idea what he was doing, but he thought maybe with the Sheriff's help for however long, Harry can manage in this new town and maybe make a few friends from it.


	2. Adulting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll completely admit, with me adding Fawkes to this story, I completely love the idea of Harry Potter/Parrish as a pairing, it just seems right the more I keep thinking about this story.

Despite having taken care of himself for nearly his entire life, Harry could safely say he did not know how to adult. Not really, he could cook for himself, he can clean after himself and a house, get groceries, and go about finishing homework in a timely manner (not that Ron or Hermione would believe him, but that was mostly because he hid the sheet he actually submits to his teachers that he made literally the day they were assigned homework). But Harry didn't know how to drive, pay taxes, go about even buying a house and taking care of the plumbing and electricity, or even what to buy for the inside of a house.

Harry realized this the longer he stared at Sheriff Stilinski who was rambling about what he had to do to go about buying a house and then about what Harry should do about going about taking a Grade Placement Test and that no matter what he got he shouldn't be ashamed.

And then Harry couldn't breathe.

Like he really couldn't breathe. His chest was too tight, the air felt stifling, his head felt foggy and Harry couldn't see properly like he didn't have his glasses on even though he knew for a fact he did. He clutched at his chest as it hurt as he tried to gasp in breaths that weren't coming.

Then he felt the hands, and Harry flinched and his body locked up. His mind instantly turning from panic from not being able to breathe to panic that his uncle was right in front of him, angry that he didn't complete a chore or that he's had a magical accident and he was about to hit Harry.

He cowered like normal but didn't try and get away from the man, knowing it was inevitable and that it would only anger his uncle more.

But the hands never came...

It took Harry a few more moments for his ears to turn back on, the underwater feeling lifting slightly as he heard a voice next to him, telling him, no urging him, that everything was okay, that no one was there that was going to hurt him. Harry jerked his head up, eyes wide as he looked around and noticed it wasn't the pristine white clean kitchen of the Dursley family that always made his head hurt whenever he had a momentary concussion from his uncle that usually disappeared later the day due to his Healing Magic. The kitchen was a darkish-grey that had few spots of dust. The chairs weren't neatly put on the island there, instead of one seemed almost completely in the way of the pathway, like someone sat out of it quickly and didn't push it in, the handtowel that was supposed to be hanging in the sink was thrown haphazardly on the countertop, the fridge was slightly ajar from this morning from where Stiles had grabbed Orange Juice and didn't push the fridge doors in completely, the microwave with the light still on because it was broken like that were even closed the light stayed on most of the time.

Harry tore his gaze from the kitchen and looked more around the room, his breathing calming as he took in everything. The overturned shoes by the front door, the random tennis shoes, probably the Sheriffs, that were taken off by the edge of the couch, one on its side while the other completely upside down. The blanket that usually goes on the back of the couch just randomly shoved in the corner on a couch cushion from where it had been shoved, a pillow resting on top of it while the other on the floor from where it had fallen.

Finally looking at the Sheriff, Harry took in the slightly tilted badge on his shoulder, the way one of the buttons on the shirt pocket wasn't closed. The slight grease stains near the edge of the shirt from where the Sheriff had stolen a piece of bacon behind his son's back and wiped his greasy fingers on the bottom of his shirt.

Everything unpristine and unkept smoothed some type of ruffled edges for Harry, his shoulders relaxing slowly the more Harry kept looking and realizing how...Homey the place he currently in was. The complete opposite of the Dursley Family.

"Are you okay, son?" The Sheriff asked, his hand hovering over Harry's right shoulder like he wanted to place his hand but knew it wouldn't be welcomed right now.

Was he okay? Harry didn't think so. So he just shook his head and kept his mouth shut, guilt and self-hatred flowing through him.

He survived a war for Merlin's sake, he should've been fine!

"That's okay, I did unload a lot on you," The Sheriff admitted with a wince, why he seemed upset Harry didn't know, was it because of whatever he just went through? "I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put my emotions of not wanting you on your own yet affect you like that. That's on me. You're not alone, Harry, no matter what it seems. You have me, and I'm sure you have Stiles' too after last night," The Sheriff joked but Harry wasn't feeling it.

Harry didn't feel like he had anyone. Anytime he thought that his two friends who he thought he could trust turned their back on him in some way. Sure Hermione stayed with him in the second year, but in fourth she stayed away, trying more to try and bend Ron to Harry's side than actually being by Harry's side.

He tried not to think about the fact that he could've used Hermione more in the fourth year than Ron and her leaving him to try and get Ron to see reason hurt him more than Ron turning his back on him. Maybe it was because Ron had briefly done it in the second year, but Harry hadn't been that surprised by the boy's attitude in the fourth year, it was Hermione that made Fourth-year his worst school year, and yes the time he was on the run and fighting Voldemort was part of that.

Though, he supposed that year was a close second, maybe tied with fourth the more he thought about it. But well, even during the time he was hiding from Voldemort he actually wasn't alone with Ron and Hermione. Luna, the one who seems to know everything everyone needs to know, kept sending him letters. Somehow she always knew where he would be and would send him letters.

It wasn't even anything about the war or even magical. It was just things that Luna would just talk about, like a diary. Mentioning how she planned to explore the world after Voldemort was defeated. Plans to find the creatures that no one believes in, well no one but Harry that was, how she talked about Harry possibly joining her before one letter saying that he should go on his own trip and find himself, that he'd enjoy what he would find.

He always felt relief when he got those letters, it was just a friendship that didn't have to do with the war or someone expecting him to defeat Voldemort. Just a friend that wanted to tell Harry about their day and plans for the future...it had been nice, really nice actually, and Harry admits he was a bit Home-Sick for Luna, the one person he didn't think he would mind if they joined him in Beacon Hills.

With all this going through his head, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Do I?" to the Sheriff.

They stared at one another, Harry feeling apprehensive while the Sheriff just looked sad for whatever reason even as he carefully showed his movement as he placed his hand on Harry's shoulder carefully. "Yes. You do have me," The Sheriff said seriously as he stared at Harry.

Harry's heart beated with the admission, but even as hope rang through his chest, Harry still didn't believe the Sheriff. After all, they had only just met yesterday. The Sheriff didn't know him, if he did, he wouldn't be saying that. So, he stayed silent, because silence was an answer in itself, showing that Harry still didn't believe him fully.

The Sheriff seemed to see something though because he just nodded and stood up from where he had knelt to help Harry. For a second, Harry tilted his head because the way the Sheriff stood reminded him of Kingsley who once served for the Muggle Servies before becoming a High Ranking Auror. It was actually a requirement for some of the higher levels of Auror Ranking, taking part in the Muggle Services that is.

"Did you serve?" Harry asked as he slowly stood up himself, part of him wanting to know in case the Sheriff did eventually react in anger. Harry sort of figured that someone who did serve would know how to properly hit someone and Harry had to mentally prepare himself for it if it ever came.

"Used to be in the Army. Served and became a Deputy, then a Sheriff when the previous one retired," The Sheriff said with a proud smile.

Harry just nodded, tucked the information away in his mind before feeling the edges of panic come back to him as he remembered what they had been talking about. The Sheriff seemed to follow his line of thought easily somehow. "Harry, why don't we just take this one day at a time. You're welcomed here for however long you need it, okay? Let's start with the school first. I can contact the principal for you, get you that test. After that, why don't we talk about the price range for a place and what you, as a person, are looking for? One day at a time, okay?" The Sheriff asked as the hand was back on Harry's shoulder.

Somehow Harry didn't even flinch, in fact, he would almost say he was reassured by the touch somehow and melted under it even as he nodded. Yeah, one day at a time, that's been his life's motto for a long time, hasn't it? The difference between then and now was that Harry wasn't just surviving, in truth, he wanted to live. He hadn't tried doing that before, maybe it's be more fun than just surviving?

* * *

From some kind of miracle, Harry actually didn't do that bad on the test the school had given him. The most concerning was actually history, but considering he didn't know shite about US History he wasn't surprised, everything else was actually okay. In fact, in some areas he was excelling, most notable was math and chemistry. Though, Harry knew the only reason was that math was actually so similar to Arthimacy which he switched to at Hermione's insistence after how terrible Deviations was (though Harry didn't put much of a fight after his first predicted death, the second was just too much and Harry had to get out of that class) and chemistry actually reminded him of Potions.

Despite what Snape had believed, Harry was actually pretty good at potions, _especially_ after finding Snape's book, somehow something just clicked when he had started reading it, and things starting making sense. Like why certain ingredients worked with some things rather than others. Snape had always just been a 'instructions are on the board, just make the potion' type of teacher and not one to actually explain why things worked the way they did. After reading Snape's book and actually finding out why they did, Harry had understood potions a lot better and from his previous EE on his owls, he had gotten an O for his newts like a few other classes.

Harry only took his Newts because Andy had admitted to him that certain ministries around the world take it that Newts are when you're declared a Magical Adult and not an Emancipation. Plus, depending on his Owls he's more leint in what type of magic he could do, especially in America where they had a limited magical presence. Well, it was more like since they've gone into hiding and haven't actively had terrorists, they've rapidly grown in the number of magicals they had compared to how many ministries they had. That didn't even count the different types of magicals that were under their command as well.

So they had to be a bit more lenient to what magic people go do as the tracker for magic would be going off nearly every time someone did something remotely suspicious.

Shaking his head because of how lost in thought he had gotten, Harry stared at his test report that he had gotten and the fact he was in high school, the good news. The slightly bad would be is that he's placed in the grade below where he's technically supposed to be at.

Considering Harry didn't have stable schooling since he was eleven, he supposed this was actually almost a miracle in and of itself, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "You did really good, I'm proud of you," The Sheriff said as he softly clapped his hand on Harry's shoulder.

It's been nearly a week since his first breakdown, and Harry admitted to himself he was definitely touch-starved with how often he leaned into the Sheriff's touches. Even Stiles seems to be understanding that because the few times they've hung out on the couch just talking about movies (Stiles making it his missions to show Harry any good movies since he didn't seem to know any of them) because Stiles would usually just shove himself next to Harry. Like, not in his lap or anything, but would press himself against Harry after seemingly intently look over Harry that was.

He certainly was his father's son with his keen eye, because if Harry ever did become too antsy with the prolonged touch, Stiles seemed to make an excuse and when he adjusted suddenly there was a distance, and Harry didn't feel stifled anymore. In fact, he was proud to say he had gotten through the Avengers Movie without the stifling feeling appearing at all until the credits had happened.

Harry was just worried about becoming too addicted to the feeling of them touching him that when he did move out that he didn't know what he was going to do. Though, the Sheriff--call me Noah, Harry--did mention that even if Harry did have his own place, he was welcome to come over at any time. In fact, the Sheriff insisted that they plan for Fridays to be Family Meals. Whether it was breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending on the shift the sheriff had, Stiles and Harry could meet before Noah's shift, during a shift at the station, or after the shift for food on Fridays.

Somehow, the thought of being a part of this small family didn't make Harry want to run for the hills like how he felt for the Weasley Family. Maybe it was because Noah only had Stiles', one kid verse seven, or maybe it was because of the fact Stiles' seemed willing the share his dad, but Harry felt calmer being in their presence than he ever felt with the Weasley Family.

"Thanks," Harry finally muttered to Noah when his brain really caught up with the praise even as his body leaned into the Sheriff's touch until his side touched Noah's and he was practically being cuddled by the man who seemed happy about it.

What Harry didn't know was that once Stiles had hit 10, he became a lot less-touchy huggy with his father, something the Sheriff missed. So Harry seeming to love to touch just seemed to increase Noah's parental love for Harry that was increasing the more time he spent with the young teen.

"Come on, Kiddo, let's give Stiles the good news," Noah told Harry with a smile as he gently ruffled the younger man's bird nest of hair.

Harry just ducked his head and let the Sheriff guide him toward the car, a small smile on his face as he felt happier than he's probably ever been.

He looked up and saw his firey friend on a forest branch who seemed content and happy as he watched Harry.

Harry's grin just widened as he could feel Fawkes bond in his chest.

Yeah, Fawkes chose a good spot for them to go to to find a place to really live and be happy.


	3. Nightmares

Harry woke with a small gasp.

His entire body felt sticky from sweat, his hands shaking, the heart beating furiously inside his chest. He swallowed the scream that had wanted to escape his throat as his trembling hands touched his chest and rested over his heartbeat. He didn't remember the nightmare too much, the images already disappearing in a distraught manner.

But Harry's been having this nightmare since the war, he knew it was about even if he couldn't remember why.

He died.

He remembered someone there, standing by the train station, but after that Harry's memory starts getting foggy, as if his mind tries to hide what happened to him. In truth, Harry didn't think it was really anything bad, because every time Harry tried to remembered it was like a nudge so similar to Fawkes was directing him away from it. It wasn't a harsh nudge, just one that said it wasn't time yet.

But whatever his unconscious mind seemed to remember when he went to sleep seemed to overdrive his body. It was why Harry knew this wasn't a terror nightmare, but the unknown in this situation scared him just as much and his body just couldn't handle the stress his mind underwent.

Which left Harry feeling sweaty, quivery hands, and a fast heartbeat that made anyone looking at him think he had a nightmare.

Even knowing all this, Harry shouldn't have been surprised when there was a knock on his door and Stiles' peeked his head inside. Harry's been in this house for nearly an entire month now, and he thought it was safe to call Stiles a friend with how much time the younger boy spent with him when he wasn't with his best friend Scott.

"You okay?" Stiles' asked as he peered into the room and seemed to be looking over Harry's state.

Harry shrugged, never really knowing how to answer that question before. Whenever his uncle asked it was usually in front of other people with the intent of Harry saying he was fine or great even if he had a bruised eye or cheek. Hermione and Ron he never could bring himself in saying otherwise, the feeling of disappointment at himself for not being fine always causing him to lie to his friends. Sirius, he would've loved to say otherwise, but with the man having his own problems Harry had always been terrified of adding to them. But Remus? Remus Harry had tried to lie at the beginning of the third year, but the man seemed to always know when he wasn't. Later Harry knew it was because werewolves can hear when people lie from their heartbeat, but apparently also because Harry's scent gave him away.

Remus was the only one that Harry never had to lie to, and he missed that feeling of his uncle's presence. Because after Harry broke down in the third year, Remus had been a constant even after school. Sure he couldn't hang out for too long, the ministry not wanting a werewolf with the Boy-Who-Lived, and Remus had no grounds in the magical world to adopt or take Harry away from his relatives, but they still meet up. Harry was proud to call Remus family, the only one he ever really had that Harry trusted fully and with his entire heart.

But this all just brought Harry back to the present as Stiles' eyes continued to roam over Harry before giving a sharp nod, seeming to come to a conclusion. "You should follow me," he said with a small grin that didn't meet his eyes.

Harry slowly climbed out of the sweaty bed, and Harry refrained from making the bed as he let it air dry and followed Stiles out of his room and toward Stiles' own. "What are you doing?" Harry finally asked as he hesitated by Stiles' room, only having come into this place a few times, never wishing to overstep some boundaries he didn't know about.

" _We_ are going to climb into my bed and then I'm going to cuddle the shit out of you because you look like you could use a really long hug right now," Stiles said as he shoved his comforter aside and looked pointedly toward the bed.

"Are-are you sure? Some people might find it weird?" Harry murmured, part of him instantly wanting to do what Stiles' said, the longing pulling sharply at his heart, but Harry also remembered what Scott McCall had said when he finally met the boy.

Scott and Stiles had been watching some movie that Stiles and Harry had already watched, Harrys assumed Scott might've been complaining about missing the movie with Stiles so Stiles just pulled it out to watch with his friend, and Harry had come down from being hidden in his room for a snack.

Stiles had called Harry over and invited him to watch their movie. Harry had been hesitant at first but ultimately sat beside Stiles in how they normally rested, pretty much their sides touching on the touch with Stiles' hand coming up and running softly through Harry's hair in a calming motion.

Scott had instantly stopped watching the movie and had asked them if they were dating. With Harry ducking in mortification Stiles had sternly told Scott that just because they were touching like this that didn't automatically mean they were dating. Scott just argued that it was a bit weird that they were touching if they weren't dating and that it was making him uncomfortable. Stiles had gotten angry as Harry added some distances between them, his heart beating at the thought he was being a freak again, and Stiles had with quiet anger told Scott to leave until he would apologize.

Stiles didn't say whatever happened after that, he just knew that Stiles had been stressed at school for the next few days but then suddenly he wasn't as tense as before and Scott was coming over again as nothing had happened. They didn't talk about what Scott said, Stiles just quietly never stopping in touching Harry and reassuring the older boy that it was okay.

But Harry could see the small glares Scott directed at him every time he remotely took the other boy's attention, like a greedy kid that didn't want to share a toy with someone else. Harry could feel some anger directed toward Scott for thinking it because Stiles was anything but a toy and deserved better. But he also knew if he said anything to Stiles the boy wouldn't see it and would only get mad at Harry.

Harry's had too many people mad with him before so he has yet to say anything, too desperate for a friend to really want to ruin it. Because Stiles and Scott had been friends longer than Stiles and Harry.

This was all on Harry's mind as he stared at Stiles' pointed look toward the bed. Feeling his stubbornness die with each second, Harry sighed and moved toward the bed and slid into it carefully. Stiles' gleeful happy face made it almost worthwhile as Stiles slid in beside Harry and practically threw himself over Stiles' chest.

Giving a small laugh at the other boy, Harry fully expected the feeling of Stiles on top of him to give him that itch again, the one that means he had to get away from another touch, but the opposite happened where nearly every muscle in Harry's body just suddenly relaxed.

He's never been this relaxed before, especially in the presence of another person. And Harry could feel the tiredness drag him toward sleep. Stiles just muttered a goodnight and the two of them were quickly drawn into sleep.

* * *

Harry looked over at the two-bedroom house that the Sheriff had found for him. It was a little bit of a fixer-upper, but Harry was ready to learn and with his magic, he knew it wouldn't take that long. The actual place was a bit cheap and the only reason was that it was surrounded by the forest. Apparently, it had been the original house that was going to be built in the woods, but according to folk-legend of the woods, the house was actually haunted and so they made a new place that later burnt down due to an accident.

The only reason Harry really pushed for the place was because of the apparent hauntings that were supposed to be the house. And despite no one choosing the house for a long time it still looked in excellent shape. Enough so that Harry could feel the residual magic of the forest helping it for whatever reason stay in great shape.

"Are you sure you want this house?" Noah asked with a small worried push in his voice as the Sheriff stared at the house uneasily.

It almost reaffirmed Harry's decision because he's come to know Noah Stilinski and the man didn't fear many things, least of all an abandoned house.

"Yeah, I want it," Harry confirmed as he stepped closer to the house, the keys in his pocket for the place he had bought.

It barely even dented the amount of money he had, something of which seemed to boggle the Sheriff's mind when Harry finally told him what type of place to look for and what their money balance was. The Sheriff didn't say anything about it though, just went in more depth to what type of house Harry was looking for instead of the price range.

Harry didn't even think Noah had meant to have this house as an option with the others, but considering Harry remembered finding Fawkes downstairs of the house near the houses sort of drew a conclusion for Harry. For whatever reason, his friend wanted him to have this house too, and Harry has learned to trust Fawkes after the fiery bird made the great decision of bringing Harry here to set up home.

"If you're sure," Noah had muttered to himself as he grabbed the box that was labeled clothes and brought them into the house for Harry as the boy carried the other box.

Apparently, the only thing the Sheriff had done after Harry came to live with them was drag him toward a clothing store because Harry admitted he only had like two pairs of pants and three shirts that truly fit him. Harry still felt guilty for having the Sheriff pay for his things, but there was also a type of warmth.

No one ever paid for something for Harry after they discovered he had money and could pay for himself. Not the Weasley's, not the Grangers, obviously not the Dursley Family, no one. It made something warm and fuzzy enter Harry's chest when Noah had done it and it still hasn't gone away the longer he stayed in the Stilinski Family presence.

The house was just as slightly run down as the outside, the difference was that there was nothing inside the actual house and the floors were quite dusty and looked like it needed a good mop and shining. It was a good thing Harry didn't mind cleaning a house, it was an absentmindedly thing to do.

"I want to work on the house a bit before we get furniture, is it okay to crash at your house for a bit longer while I work on this?" Harry asked as he shoved the box in the corner of his supposed bedroom. He still had more clothes at the Stilinski's along with a few school things Noah had decided to buy for Harry for the coming months he was going to transfer as a Sophmore to Beacon Hills High School. Right now Harry had a private tutor to really make sure he was caught up that was taking most of his time nowadays.

"You're always welcomed home, don't forget that," Noah said as his hand came up and tussled Harry's hair.

Harry swatted at it playfully, moved his hair back to its original position, and looked around at the place that was supposed to be his house for the coming years. "Well, I suppose you want to get started. Come to me if you need any help or need advice, okay? You're not alone, Harry. Despite living in this forest, I'm always going to available, son, okay?" Noah asked with a pointed tone of voice as he stared Harry in the eyes.

Ducking his head as the warm feeling made itself known again, Harry muttered, "Understood. Thanks, Noah, for everything."

"Hell son, you never have to thank me for just being a parent," Noah murmured as he brought Harry into a hug that Harry instantly melted into.

"Maybe, but I'm not your son," Harry softly told the other man, his heart squeezing almost uncomfortable at the thought, the longing echoing through his body as he almost wished Noah was his father.

"Maybe not biologically. But kid, you became a part of this crazy family the moment you rambled to Stiles. I think you stole his heart. You're stuck with us, is that okay?" Noah asked carefully as he drew back and softly ran his hand through Harry's hand with affection.

There was definitely a frog in his throat, Harry thought as he stared at the man. He could only nod as words had long since died in his throat at Noah's admission. "Good, because I don't think I could go back to life before your cooking," the Sheriff joked.

Harry's bubbled laugh was borderline hysteria.

"It's okay," Noah said as he drew Harry back into a hug as the teen slowly started crying in the Sheriff's shoulder, emotions all over the place and just becoming too much, "It's okay, Harry," the Sheriff muttered into Harry's hair as he gave it a soft kiss, having a good three inches on the other man.

Harry admitted he's never felt this much love since Remus had died.

Eventually, his tears died down and the Sheriff had to leave for a shift at the station. Harry had just stood there in his new house, feeling emotions strung out as he stared at the empty home that was his own. There was a flash of light next to him and then a sudden soft weight on his shoulder.

Feeling like he could breathe easier with Fawkes suddenly there, his handhold from drowning from everything in his life, Harry felt himself pick his tired emotions up and put them away. Eventually, he felt slightly more alive again as he slowly really explored the house. It was a two-bedroom home with no upper floor. One he was turning into his bedroom, the other Harry had planned on making the other a study of the sort with bookshelves full of magical and supernatural with fake Muggle Book covers on them. There was a basement Harry planned on turning into a workout type of room combined with maybe a hidden potions room. The kitchen was open and the only thing separating it from the living room was an island counter that could house stools around it. One of the best parts was the backyard had a small garden that Harry could grow a few magical plants for brewing.

"What do you think?" Harry asked as his head crept up and softly caressed Fawkes chest, making sure to go with the feathers and not against.

Fawkes just cooed and Harry could feel the contentedness of his bond with the Phoenix and knew Fawkes was happy with this place. It was remote enough that Harry didn't have to fear neighbors (the Dursley Neighbors having done their own trauma to the boy in their own way) so Harry could also set up wards around the place. But it was close enough to the city, maybe a ten-minute drive total.

Remembering he still needed to really buy a car, having recently gotten his license with Noah's help, Harry looked around the place and could feel the magic buzz in the air, something was watching them, well more like watching him pet a Happy Fawkes. "Whose there?" Harry asked out loud, but still softly, trying to tell who was there that he meant no harm to them.

Slowly, sparkles of white, pink, purple, blue, and green emerged from the trees surrounding the house. Harry instantly recognized what they were and couldn't help the soft smile on his face. "Fae, with your permission, may I live on this property and call it home?" Harry asked softly as he carefully knelt with Fawkes on his shoulder, bowing to the Fae who was old, older than any type of magicals.

They were Magical before Magicals were. A long history that slowly died as the Fae began to hide as the wizards and witches that were Harry's type started killing them, hunting them for ownership of the land that was rightful the Fae's. The Fae in front of him paused hesitantly, seeming to zoom around his fretfully, slightly afraid, but still taking him in.

He could feel them looking into his soul, and wondered briefly what they say. If they could see how broken he truly was inside.

"You're not broken," A young, perhaps female, voice whispered in his ear.

Harry carefully looked up, knowing if he jerked his head up like he wanted that it would only startle the Fae into reacting defensively. "What do you mean?" Harry asked as he spotted the only Black Spark amongst the colorful orbs around him.

It was the chief, and she was talking to him. "You are stronger than you think, Child of Magic. Even the Phoenix can see this. You have our permission to stay on this land, we won't drive you away like the others before you," The Fae told Harry with a youthful kind smile that if Harry didn't know she was probably over two thousands year old he'd say she looked like a teenager.

"Thank you, Chief Fae," Harry told her, praying he wasn't messing up how to address them. He barely remembered what his Care of Magical Creatures class went over when they talked about the Fae.

Maybe it was because they were rare to find and see.

The chief laughed, a light airy voice that made butterflies appear in Harry's stomach. "Not the correct way to respond to us, but close enough. I go by Drȳcræft, not chief, but thank you. You may call me Luella, Little One," The chief said, a smile in her tone.

"Thank you, Drȳcræft Luella," Harry said as he pronounced the words slowly, trying to memorize them into his heart.

The Fae left quickly, Fawkes just looked incredibly smug on his shoulder as he chirps toward Harry as if saying I knew you'd be fine.

Harry just shook his head toward his friend, wondering how his life turned out like this before flicking his wand into his hand. After all, he had a house to repair back to its original state now that he had permission from the true landowners.


	4. A Magical Realization

It was three months before he was to start Sophmore Year with Stiles when Harry felt a distinctive change in his magic. Well, he should say he's been feeling it build up ever since he moved to Beacon Hills but it wasn't that bad.

Harry knew it was bad when he woke up and everything in his room was floating, even his bed. And just as he realized it, it was like a string had been cut inside him and everything had dropped with a thunk and a few things had crashed to the floor, some of them portraits of him with his parents as a baby.

The ones that had broken glass from breaking on impact was suddenly fixed and back in their original spot when Harry had felt sad about them breaking. He barely thought it, and suddenly his magic had rushed to fix it. Feeling the panic building in his chest because of all this magic he was doing without his wand, Harry could feel his anxiety worsen the more the ground beneath him felt like it was shaking and he knew that he was the cause of it.

Just as he was about to really have a panic attack, there was a flash of fire and then a song reached his ears. Fawkes was singing, and nudging his cheek with his beak softly with affection. A Phoenix Song was doing its job, and Harry could feel his trepidation was slowly abiding and going back under control. The shaking of the room stopped, along with it his racing heart. His head felt a bit clearer the more he just focused on Fawkes and his song even as his hands still felt a bit shaky even as he brought it up to slowly pet Fawkes chest, a calming motion.

Fawkes nudged his cheek again before hopping from his shoulder where he flashed in from and moved to Harry's lap, his claws carefully steadying himself on his legs as he extended his wing and pointed toward Harry's chests. His song had died done slightly, but even as Fawkes stopped physically moving his beak to sing, Harry could still hear the song inside his chest. Something was calling him.

Trusting that Fawkes knew what he was doing, Harry slowly closed his eyes, his hand resting on Fawkes to ground him to the present, and drove into his mind and soul. It was something that Remus had started teaching him after he heard about Snape's failed attempts at Occulmency. Apparently what he had been teaching Harry was similar to one finding an anchor and using it to find their inner wolf to communicate with it, just instead of a wolf it would be Harry's magic he was searching for.

Harry had actually gotten pretty good at finding his magic, the swirling ball of fiery orange, yellow, and red that look so similar to Fawkes plumage that Harry once joked that his magic was like a Phoenix's. Of course, Harry never saw the pride stance Fawkes had at the joke, but that had been beside the point.

Focusing on his magic, Harry nearly mentally stumbled back when he did find it. It was larger than he's ever seen it. It was like it was thriving suddenly and Harry couldn't help the tears that escaped his eyes. It looked...pure. Harry never realized it before, but his magic before the war had looked...like a fire but dimmed like it was about to die. The fire in front of him was bursting at the seams, thriving in a way it never had before.

Maybe it was because Harry finally felt free, or it was because he no longer had Voldemort's Soul clinging onto his, but Harry's magic was growing. It was growing, and it was eager to do as Harry wish. The pulling sensation brought Harry's mental eyes away from his magic to the smaller inferno just in front of his own magic, a small golden bond between his soul and the one in front of him.

Mentally creeping toward the other inferno, Harry prodded it with a finger and could feel happiness, contentedness, pride flow through the bond and Harry just knew it was Fawkes. He didn't hesitate in sending happiness, shock, awe back at the bond. Because Harry knew what it meant, it meant Fawkes had bonded with him.

Someone chose to bind their life with his.

Harry was abruptly pulled back to the present when feathers touched his eyes. Opening them and not surprised he had started crying from the amount of happy awe he was going through. Fawkes trilled, a soothing happy tone as he had reached up with his wing to push away the tears that were leaking from Harry's eyes.

"Why?" Harry croaked out to Fawkes.

Phoenix's were special magical creatures, they can have many types of friendships. The last friendship that Fawkes had was only a friendship bond with Dumbledore. But the bind that he did with Harry? That was for life in a way.

For all intents and purpose, Harry wasn't just a Wizard anymore, he had the soul of a Phoenix because Fawles had bonded their souls together, till death. Phoenix's didn't do that unless they were certain they wanted to spend their life with the person they bonded to.

Fawkes just trilled, almost a slightly mournful tune that told Harry he probably wouldn't understand right now as Fawkes nuzzled Harry's cheek with his beak with affection clearly in his eyes and body language. The bond inside Harry just told him one thing, _"Because I love you."_

Harry nearly started crying heavier tears at Fawkes admission, because no one really loved him that much. Well, maybe Remus, but Harry was never certain.

"I love you too," Harry admitted as he ran his fingers down Fawkes' back, his heart and magic practically bursting with how happy he was.

His stuff started floating again, and Harry just sent a brief thought toward his magic and suddenly the furniture was settling on the floor like it hadn't been disturbed. "Right, I'm going to have to go through my control again, huh?" Harry thought out loud with a giddy feeling while Fawkes clicked his beak in a semblance of his own laugh.

He thought maybe he should be feeling more like a freak, with how much magic he seemed to possess, but Harry couldn't get over the giddy feeling in his chest from his bond with Fawkes. That type of love was something he never expected, and he was fully ecstatic with Fawkes right now.

* * *

The problem was that with this increase in magic it was hard to hide from those closest to you.

This is why Harry had been feeling apprehensive and afraid when Noah had invited him for dinner one night while Stiles was sleeping over at Scott's. He had no reason to cancel, Harry didn't exactly have any friends besides Stiles, he had already finished his house both with the cleaning of magic and deep physical cleaning, repaired anything needing repairing, and even had gotten started on what Wards he was going to do and how to set them up. He didn't have any reason to cancel on Noah and, in truth, he didn't like leaving Noah alone for meals anyway.

"Are you okay?" Noah asked when Harry seated himself at the table and waited for the taco meat Noah had been making to be set down.

"Yeah, course, why wouldn't I be?" Harry said without thought before closing his eyes because yeah that came out terribly.

When he opened his eyes he could see Noah's raised eyebrow asking: Did you want to try and continue after that or revise yourself?

Harry looked away and toward his empty plate, fiddling with the fork next to him for any loose pieces of taco. "I'm just...nervous I guess," Harry admitted the part truth because he was nervous, but Noah would certainly think it would be about school.

But Noah didn't say anything for a bit, just stared at Harry with slightly narrowed eyes. "Whatever you're nervous about, I can tell it's not about school. You've been really excited about it. If you're in any trouble, you can come to me, Harry," Noah urged when their eyes finally made eye contact, "if anyone starts giving you trouble just come to me. Okay?"

Harry's response died in his throat as he forced what he wanted to blurt out down. He wanted Noah's help with his magic, wanted someone's help, but Noah wouldn't know anything about magic, he didn't have any of it, Harry could tell. It was just a stupid feeling that Harry really should ignore. So why was it so hard?

Feeling tears of frustration edging toward his eyes, Harry clenched them shut while moving his hands in his lap so he could clench them without the Sheriff seeing. He was being stupid, so stupid right now. Why was he so afraid, why did he have to be so afraid? He fought Voldemort without backing down, never feeling this in his chest, never having this type of anxiety, why did the Sheriff make him feel more nervous than Voldemort ever did!

There was a sharp intake of breath and Harry's eyes snapped opened and his eyes connected with the slightly startled looking Sheriff. The feeling Harry's chest felt tighter and tighter as Harry turned to see what Noah had been looking at with dread. Because Noah was staring straight toward the windows where they all seemingly lay broken in pieces.

Then there was dread. Because Harry hadn't heard the windows breaking, no doubt his magic having done it. But as his inner anger at himself turned to dread, suddenly there was nothing.

Harry just sat in his chair staring at the window as it slowly pieced itself back together and put itself back in the window frame. It was slightly slow, but Harry could see where each broken glass was mended with a thin golden line as it was placed back into the window as if nothing happened.

When the windows had been fully fixed, Harry's eyes turned to look at Noah who sat in shock. Harry couldn't feel anything.

No dread. No anger. No sadness. No nothing. It was like he was empty inside and he couldn't help it.

The Sheriff stood up, and Harry couldn't help the reflex flinch that he made when he had done so. The Sheriff looked sad for a moment before determination settled on his features once more.

He crossed the side of the table quickly, and as Harry prepared himself for the rage of Beacon Hills Sheriff, he wasn't surprised when two hands clenched his shoulders.

What surprised him was when they pulled him out of the seat and into the Sheriff's chest as he knelt.

Harry's knees buckled from not expecting it and the Sheriff followed with him, burying Harry's head in his shoulder as the young boy started shaking.

The emotional crash finally catching up with the detached Harry. "I've got you. It's okay," The Sheriff muttered into Harry as he slowly rocked.

"Aren't you mad?" Harry finally croaked out, tears not coming as they stayed stuck in his throat from where he was forcing them to be.

"No. Clearly there more going on than I know. But I can never be angry, not at you, Harry. Okay? You haven't done anything wrong," Noah muttered, his hand resting on Harry's hair from where he pulled Harry's head into his shoulder while the other rested on Harry's back, helping the motion of going back and forth.

Slowly, hesitantly, Harry brought his arms up and wrapped them around Noah. "You should be mad," Harry said desperately. He didn't know what was going on, anytime he showed his magic to his relatives he was always punished. Even the Weasley's didn't like magic at the house, often yelling at the twins for doing it or Percy who used it now and again when he had become an adult.

"Never," Noah swore as the hand on Harry's back slowly rubbed it.

Something in Harry broke, and the tears were there. He cried because of the changes in his life. Not knowing who he felt like he could trust or not. The torn feeling of wanting his friends but knowing they weren't want he needed. The sadness of wishing to see Teddy grow, but knowing he was too broken right now for that. But most of all...

He cried for the life he could've had.

Because Noah Stilinski was a father. And Harry's never had a father before.

Noah shushed him gently, not telling him to stop but more telling him that it was going to be okay. He even muttered it between shushes as he rocked Harry slowly, calmly. "I feel weak, these past few weeks cause I just can't seem to help but cry," Harry admitted, feeling strung out and ready for his secrets to be bared for the kind man that stopped him on the side of the road just because he had been worried for the teen.

"Harry, I want you to answer something, or try to, okay?" Noah asked as he carefully pulled away even as he cupped Harry's cheek and slowly wiped some of his tears that were falling.

Sniffing as his nose felt clogged, Harry nodded. "I can tell your life's been hard. You don't have to explain it right now, perhaps one day, but answer me this. Have you ever grieved? You've had a hard life, but I don't think you ever properly grieved for all that you've lost, am I right?" Noah asked carefully and softly, knowing the subject would be touchy.

"No," Harry finally said after a moment of thinking. He's never really cried before. Not when he's gotten hurt by the Dursleys, okay maybe when he was younger but he stopped when all his crying did was make his uncle hit him harder, he never cried getting hurt at Hogwarts or the terror that Hogwarts brought. Thinking back, Harry thought maybe the last time he cried had been at the war when he heard the Remus died. Before that was for Sirius. But before those two important men? Maybe when Harry had been 11 and had found out the truth of his parents' death. Before then it would've been when he was still crying after his uncle had hit him before he learned better.

But the crying has always been from the pain of losing someone close to him or actual physical pain. Had Harry ever truly grieved though? For all he's lost? Loss of innocence, loss of family, loss of childhood, loss of true friendship? The more he thought about it, the more Harry realized the more emotionally taxing crying he's had recently had been because his emotions became too much.

And the reason? Because some of the things Harry thought he lost forever weren't lost. He found it with the Stilinski Family, and he cried because it became too much, the hope, love, happiness he felt for the family.

"It's alright son, just let it out," Noah muttered as he rubbed Harry's back and pulled him back into a hug as Harry's eyes sang realization. "We can talk about whatever the hell happened with the windows later."

Harry gave a choked laugh because yeah, now wasn't a great time to explain Harry's magic huh.

But he promised himself that he would tell Noah. Maybe not Stiles right now, but at least Noah would know, would love him either way.


	5. A Kanima's Master

Harry Potter has always been called stupid all his life. Even after he got to the magical world, most people thought him stupid.

What they didn't know, was that Harry just hid his smarts. Mostly out of self-preservation because if Harry ever did better than Dudley? Well, he would always wound in a world of hurt for cheating and that obviously their Little Dudlers was smarter than Harry. Despite the fact that Dudley hadn't been toilet trained until he was nearly five years old and his reading was that of practically a first grade. Harry also knew that Dudley didn't know how to tie his shoes until he was like nine.

So yes, Harry had to hide his smarts and was seen as a failing student from before the age of eleven because well, Dudley was easily failing his classes and Harry had to be just right behind him. At Hogwarts...well it became obviously clear to him that Hermione would hate him if he had gotten better grades than her. So he just didn't. It helped that if he was around the same grades as Ron that his friend would be content and not get angry at him. It was better to have bad grades than two friends hating him, both for having better grades than them.

But when Harry had started to do that routine with Stiles' work, well there was a reason that Noah was a Sheriff and that Stiles was his son. They both caught on and pulled him aside and explained that he didn't need to hide his smarts. That he could do better than Stiles, in fact, they wanted him to.

It was weird for Harry, and he had been hesitant the first few tests where he had gotten practically a 100 on them, but after watching them constantly through the Diner Celebration they pulled he slowly untensed and just let it happen. After all, Harry had long since realized that the Stilinski Family was a weird one, which apparently included them being okay with Harry being smarter than Stiles.

So, with school taking most of Harry's time especially with catching up on American History, Harry didn't really make friends other than Stiles and from him Scott. Because of this, it was made abundantly clear to Harry that something was going on with the two of them since the beginning of the new year.

He watched them for nearly a month before he knew it was time to head to Noah about it, wondering if Stiles was caught up in something and if his dad might know because Harry admitted to himself that after a month of Stiles practically ignoring him in favor of Scott and some others at the school, Harry was feeling lonely and pushed aside.

Not that he blamed Stiles, of course, he was obviously too busy. Harry just slightly blamed Scott because it was obvious to him that the only time Stiles remotely hung out with him was when Scott was busy with his new girlfriend and canceled on Stiles.

None of this helped when Fawkes had randomly left yesterday with the idea of saving someone from killing themselves. He didn't really know what was going on with the Phoenix, but he figured his friend knew what he was doing and that clearly someone in the city was about to make a poor choice. Harry had yet to hear from Fawkes, the only reason he wasn't panicking was that his bond by his core kept pinging him every few hours that the Phoenix was fine and was taking care of the problem.

Harry even got the flash of an older woman with red hair and bright gold eyes of a werewolf. Given the day Fawkes left on him was the full moon, Harry supposed that might have something to do with it.

All of this lead to Harry heading to the station at two in the morning after Abby, who was on duty tonight, informed him that the Sheriff had come into the station.

Despite knowing he probably should be in bed, Harry had just grabbed his jacket and shoes and texted Abby letting her know that he was on his way. With that, Harry grabbed his keys and went to the new SUV that he had bought with help from Noah.

Ignoring the new car smell, Harry had pulled out of his dirt driveway and started toward the main road to head to the station. He arrived but his magic was telling him something was wrong. He thought about calling the police before thinking about how stupid that was because he was literally in front of the police station.

He crept toward the front door before pausing, his magic tugging him toward the locked back entrance. Swallowing the tightness in his throat, Harry moved from the front of the building and toward the back. Knowing the door was going to be locked for safety reasons, Harry laid his hand on the handle and pushed his magic toward it with intent.

Within seconds Harry heard the door click open as his magic had physically opened the door from the other side and quietly opened the door wider. As soon as Harry stepped foot inside the building, he had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat at seeing three dead Sheriff's men and Abby dead in the back room of the station. Their uniforms seemed slashed open by some type of claws and there was a clear substance lining the wounds that seemed to be soaking into their bodies.

Wanting to leave but needing to know if Noah was one of the bodies, Harry slowly crept into the room and could feel his magic tense in his body, ready to lash out at any threat he might see. As soon as he knelt beside the first deputy, Harry could practically feel eyes on him, watching him, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Knowing he shouldn't make it clear he could feel the eyes, Harry continued to kneel beside the body that was obviously dead and slowly lifted his hand and swiped it over the long strikes that rang down the officer's chest. Some of the white substance seemed to stick to his fingers as he pulled his hand away, none of the blood seeming to stick. Only the substance.

Shaking his hand to dislodge the thing, Harry wiped the rest on his jeans before standing up. His magic pulsed inside him and Harry glanced toward his fingers that felt slightly numb. Squeezing his hand to wake them up, Harry looked around the room and tried to find where the eyes might be watching him, the feeling of predator disappeared when he stood up, the eyes now felt more cautious and curious.

The hissing was the only warning Harry got when something sharp swiped across his neck. His hand flew up toward the small wound and he could feel the tingling sensation stronger. Harry nearly tipped over when he swung his body around to turn around to what the hell just got him and made eye-contact with some type of lizard-man that was crouched, its tail swinging by its back legs as it watched Harry with what could be described as a curiosity.

 _"Like me?"_ the hissing entered Harry's ears, this time he recognized it as Parseltongue.

 _"No,"_ Harry finally hissed out too, his tongue feeling slightly hard to move as his magic pulsed faster in his body and his blood sang. Harry could practically feel the Phoenix Tears and Basilisk Venom in his blood instantly neutralizing whatever the creature in front of him just done.

 _"Speaker of Tongue. True Master. Wish is my command,"_ The lizard-boy seemed hypnotized as it crept toward Harry, it's tail swishing behind it.

Harry nearly tripped over his slightly asleep feet when it came closer and froze when it was right in front of him. The sharp claws on the thing Harry knew would kill him easily in one swipe. But the lizard didn't do that, it just peered up at Harry, their eyes connecting before there was a pleased hiss as it's head just nudged Harry's legs as if it was a dog that was demanding attention or affection.

 _"Look I'm just trying to find nest-mate,"_ Harry whispered to the lizard-creature as he reached down and rubbed his hand down the creature's head.

Feeling the scales under his touch, the lizard thing shivered as if it enjoyed the touch and leaned into Harry's hand. _"Bad Man here. Master careful,"_ the lizard whispered as it pushed its head further into Harry's careful hands.

Harry bit his lip wondering what he should do, he didn't know if anyone but Noah was here and that meant Harry had to stay here. _"Master wish Kanima to cause paralysis to Bad Man?"_ The lizard hissed out with a small tilt of its head.

With the knowledge the creature in front of him was a Kanima, Harry nodded even as he felt toward his core where he could feel another bond formed that wasn't Fawkes. It was green in color, well more like multiple greens the same coloring of reptile scales. Harry knew this was the bond the Kanima seemed to form with him.

With confirmation from Harry, the Kanima nudged its head in Harry's hand, his (because it was a him, Harry realized) tail caressing Harry's leg as he left before creeping toward the door and crawling slightly on the wall as it headed toward the central part of the station.

Hesitating for a second, glancing toward the officers and feeling with his magic if they could be saved, Harry finally left the room and went toward the station. He watched the Kanima creep toward the stations for the officers where Harry could hear someone talking, probably the Bad Man that the Kanima mentioned, but Harry was more concerned by seeing a shaved head on the ground that was remarkably familiar.

"Stiles!" Harry yelped as he skidded beside Stiles, his hands hovering over Harry's prone body as he ignored the other male next to him.

"Harry? What the hell, you need to get out of here," Stiles said, his mouth barely moving but Harry could see the panic in his eyes.

"Now's not the time," Harry muttered as he realized that whatever the Kanima tried to paralyze him with, he obviously had done it to Stiles.

With that knowledge, Harry held his hands over Stiles' chest and concentrated on his magic, pushing it with intent to heal Stiles, to cause the paralysis the stop. He could distantly hear some type of warning growl but Harry ignored it as his magic seemed to click at what was wrong and push itself into Stiles who gasped.

"What the hell," Stiles muttered as he slowly could feel his body return to him.

Harry leaned back onto his feet and watched as Stiles' slowly wiggled his fingers and slowly stood up with a confused expression. "What the hell did you do, dude?" Stiles asked with some type of awe look.

The hissing came back and Harry turned to see the Kanima slowly creep from the station, crawling on the ceiling with his eyes intently on Stiles, a warning hiss escaping him.

 _"You harm him, you harm me,"_ Harry hissed back seeing how angry the Kanima was looking at Stiles.

Both Stiles and the Kanima had flinched back, a pity whine leaving the Kanima as it used the walls to climb down and practically crawled toward Harry, it's body mostly staying close to the ground as it came closer. Harry reached out when it neared him and calmly rubbed his fingers on the Kanima's head, a small apology for snapping at him as he sent reassurance toward the bond the Kanima made.

"Dude, what the hell?" Stiles' flared out, his arms swinging slightly wide with slight panic as he looked at Harry.

Harry winced, knowing this was totally not going to plan even as he turned toward the other still paralyzed guy and could see him slowly struggling to sit up. Harry reached out and let his magic run through his fingers, making the process faster even as red eyes blazed at him in response.

"What are you?" The man asked his voice heavy with a threat obviously in it.

Harry clamped his mouth shut even as Harry could see Scott creep out from the office where the paralyzed guy was probably. Seeing the blood on Scott's shirt made Harry instantly on his feet and moving toward him. "Are you okay?" Harry asked instead.

"What, yeah?" Scott said looking confused even as his hand stayed on the wound, probably more of a reaction than anything else.

"Scotty should be fine, he's a werewolf, after all, he's fine," Stiles said as he stumbled over his feet in standing up.

Harry blinked because werewolves. That actually made sense. The Kanima that was wrapping around his feet looked agitated seeing so many people around Harry, so without thinking and feeling his emotions, Harry reached down and slowly pet the Kanima on the head as the creature leaned into his touch.

There was something breaking in the background that had Harry turning toward the jail cells of the station in time to see Noah Stilinski appear, gun in hand, with chained handcuffs dangling from one of his wrists. "Harry, thank god," Noah said as he lowered the gun, barely pausing at seeing Harry with some type of creature around him.

"Hey, Noah. The guys paralyzed in the other room," Harry said as he shrugged toward the desk station.

"Your during, I'm assuming?" Noah asked as he peered around the room, Stiles looked startled, Scott looked lost, the other guy that had been paralyzed look like he swallowed a lemon and was hiding how it tasted.

"More or less. You have a story?" Harry asked as he continued to slowly run his fingers on the scaled Kanima that was practically purring in his hands.

Noah waved him off as he grabbed a pair of handcuffs and crept toward the desk. "Get out of here for tonight. Scott, your mom is in the other room and freaking out," Noah said and huffed like he couldn't believe this was his life, "obviously this is something supernatural considering the lack of freaking out happening. Harry, inform me whatever the hell is going on after you all talk. Stiles, we'll be having a long conversation as a family soon," Noah said with narrowed eyes toward his son who looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to pull Noah and Harry aside now to get them talking about when Noah knew about the supernatural or go with Harry to explain things to Derek and whatever the hell is going on with the Kanima.

"That sounds like a plan. Thanks, Noah," Harry said with a hesitant smile and turned to Stiles, waiting for his response.

Stiles just looked between Noah and Harry before looking between Harry and Derek before sighing. "Come on, let's follow Derek and figure things out. Like, actually figure things out, Sourwolf!" Stiles said with flapping hands, seemingly happy he can feel them again apparently.

Derek grunted, probably his response to Stiles, and just turned and left the station. Apparently, whatever the hell was going on he reached his limit.

Harry followed Stiles and Derek out of the station, it seemed Scott had to deal with his mom.

Harry just knew the conversation he was about to have would probably be an uncomfortable one.


	6. A Supernatural Conversation

By the time everyone had arrived at Stiles' house because apparently, that was where they were going to be talking, Harry was nervous and the Kanima was clearly reflecting that with his agitated hissing every now and again and brushing against Harry's arm while he was driving for reassurance.

Honestly, the Kanima reminded Harry of a snake he found when he was like three. The thing had loved affection and reassuring Harry that everything was going to be alright. Of course, Harry stopped believing it was going to be alright when his uncle had found the garden snake and killed it in front of Harry.

Despite these thoughts, Harry reached out with a hand and carefully ran his fingers down the Kanima's scales, feeling it purr in its own way under his touch and sent his own reassurance through their shared bond before sending a ping to Fawkes wondering what he was doing.

Fawkes had pinged back, the image of the redhead werewolf with the golden beta eyes was sent back. It seemed Fawkes was keeping the woman from killing herself while another man with brown and slightly gray hair was watching on as the woman was practically trying to futility talk to Fawkes.

Whatever was happening, Harry thought perhaps the two were from hunters. In the image, Harry could see guns along with bow and arrows in the background, often different types of arrows that Remus had once described his family uses to use hanging on the walls as well. Clearly, the woman had been bit and per most Hunters Code, was trying to commit suicide. Fawkes was obviously stopping her it seemed, taking away the knife she had held to her chest when he first arrived.

But Harry could also feel Fawkes smug feeling as Fawkes sent back another image of a teenager that Harry instantly recognized as Allison, Scott's girlfriend, who was crying as she stumbled upon what Harry supposed were her parents. It seemed there was some shock and crying as Allison figured out what was happening before Harry got the image of the three humans sitting down to properly talk to one another.

Good for them, Allison didn't deserve to lose her mother because she had been bitten by an Alpha. Maybe they'll do what Remus' family had done, give up hunting but still protect their city. Remus had said his family didn't talk to his grandparents anymore, as they were the ones that told his parents to kill their recently bitten three-year-old. His parents refused and moved away with their newly bitten werewolf toddler. They gave up hunting for Remus, and Harry knew that Remus' parents never regretted it even before they died.

With as lost in thought as Harry was, he had been underprepared for when he finally noticed that the Stilinski house was in front of him and how many cars were around the place. Feeling his heartbeat in his chest, Harry drew on the Gryffindor courage he had inside him and opened his car door. It was now or never and while Harry would love for it to be never, he knew that wasn't actually a choice.

Leaving the door open long enough for the Kanima to follow him, he watched it crawl out of the car and settle on the roof of the car, it's tail swinging side to side as it's slitted eyes looked around for any threat. Making sure the tail didn't swing in the way of the door, Harry shut it and stared at the house that he was coming to know of as a second home.

"You coming, Harry?" Stiles asked from exiting his own blue jeep.

Steeling himself, Harry nodded and stepped toward the driveway as he had been forced to park in the street. The Kanima grumbled next to him. _"Master go with dogs?"_ he hissed out the question.

 _"Nest-Mate and Nest-Mate friends,"_ Harry hissed back, _"No harming them."_

 _"Not even a little? Kanima no likes them,"_ Kanima hissed back with a small pout on its features, though without eyebrows or really any smooth facial features, the pout looked more like it wanted to kill someone.

"I'll let you know if a little. Any wrong moves you're allowed to protect by paralysis, nothing else?" Harry told the Kanima, his hand reaching down and soothing the creature as it's tail curled around Harry's wrist before they continued walking.

 _"Good. Kanima protects Master. Even though Master can protect himself clearly,"_ The Kanima whispered like a vow to himself.

Feeling his heart flutter at the thought something else in Harry's life wanted to protect him even though he had magic, Harry felt a small smile lift on his lips. Somehow the creature reminded him of a mix between the protectiveness of Fawkes and the submission of a House Elf. _"Remember to not get hurt yourself, you're important too,"_ Harry told the Kanima.

Harry could feel the shocked happiness the Kanima felt at Harry's command even as his features never shifted. Apparently, the Kanima hadn't been expecting his own health to be important too, but there was a reason that Harry didn't allow Kreacher or Dobby to hurt themselves, he wasn't going to let the Kanima hurt itself too by just blindly following Harry's orders.

 _"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"_ Harry asked as they got near the door, already he could feel the tense atmosphere inside.

The Kanima stayed silent for a bit before shaking its head. _"Not now,"_ The Kanima admitted though Harry had a feeling that wasn't exactly true but let it go. 

Entering the house he's long since known the layout of, Harry was surprised to see three teenagers he recognized from school and shared few classes with. Issac Lahey, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, and Lydia Martin were standing in Stiles' living room. The first three looking cautiously curious and kept side glancing at the Kanima by Harry's feet that was curling its tail around Harry, while Lydia looked like she wanted to be someone but there but also had her eyes trained on Jackson.

There was silence as everyone seemed to stare at Harry, the man that had been paralyzed beside Stiles had crossed his arms and moved to stand in front of three of the teenagers. Harry could see that he was obviously protective of the small group, even without the Alpha Red Eyes he obviously saw Harry as a threat.

"Well...I'm Harry," Harry said lamely as he gave a small wave before letting his hand just fall back to his side.

The Kanima hissed, clearly picking up Harry's agitation as it encircled its tail tighter around Harry's waist and stepped more in front of Harry. A threat that they would have to go through him to get to Harry. Trying to calm his beating heart, without much thought Harry let the hand closest to the Kanima's head reach a little lower and rested it on the Kanima, slowly moving up and down, relaxing both himself and the Kanima with the motion.

The Kanima cooed and moved its head closer to Harry's hand, rubbing its face in his palm before letting Harry rest his hand on the back of his neck where Harry thumbed it absentmindedly in circles.

"How are you doing that?" someone finally said, Harry's eyes snapped to Issac who was watching with fascination.

Harry had gone to Noah a few weeks ago when he started school, hesitantly telling him that he thought Issac might be being abused at home. Noah had looked into it, but it didn't get very far when the call came in that Issac's dad had died.

"Doing what?" Harry asked curiously, not really knowing what he was talking about.

This time it was Erica that hesitantly stepped a bit forward and around Derek, not fully in front as her inner wolf probably could tell that Derek's wolf was on edge as it was. "Controlling Jackson? I thought Matt was his master?"

Harry was about to open his mouth and explain the bond that the Kanima, no Jackson apparently, had created with him but the Kanima had given an agitated hiss at the name. _"The Kanima is no one. No one is the Kanima."_

Ignoring everyone tensing because clearly, the Kanima was angry at her words, Harry reached down both with his hand and through the bond and sent calming emotions back through the bond as his hand rubbed Jackson's neck lightly. _"She meant no harm. You existed before Kanima, she refers to the previous name. She means no harm to you or me,"_ Harry hissed soothingly and watched as the Kanima slowly melted from its tense state.

"That, how are you doing that?" Stiles asked excitedly, he seemed the less tense out of everyone though he was obviously wary of the Kanima, just less so now that he knew Harry had control over him.

"It's just Parseltongue. Language of the snakes, I've known it since forever," Harry said with a muttered shrug.

"Can you teach me? That'll be so cool," Stiles flapped out looking like he wanted to steal Harry away and interrogate him into learning a new language.

Feeling less tense the more Stiles talked, Harry shook his head with exasperation. "You can't learn it. It's just something some Magical Bloodlines have. Mine happened to have it," Harry explained.

It had been a shock, in truth, when he found out after the war he could still speak to snakes. He thought maybe it would die with Voldemort's soul not being apart of his, but Andy had actually made a potion with his help for a family tree and he found out his mother actually did come from a Squib Line from the Slytherin Line. So in a twisted way, no matter what Harry would've been able to speak to snakes.

"Magical? Are you a druid?" The Alpha Werewolf finally grunted out, his eyes narrowed.

Harry felt the words like a slap in the face even as his face twisted in agitation without him meaning too. The Kanima followed with it's own threatening hiss even as Harry calmed him once more. "God no. Druids are weak," Harry explained trying to tell them, "To call me a Druid is like calling werewolves pet dogs. Takes out any and all things they can do, makes them seem not as powerful as they are. You didn't know any better, but calling all magical users, Druids?" Harry shuddered with disgust and shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. "To the supernatural, the type of magical user I am is called Wand Magicis, which basically means I use a wand to use magic. We're powerful in our own rights, our magic is perhaps most similar to Sparks. We have magic inside us, it's just intent and will that has us use magic. Though, Sparks are technically considered to be more powerful than us just because they don't need a wand to do magic," Harry explained, leaving out the part that he didn't need to use a wand for magic, so because of that, he'd be theoretically higher in the food chain magic wise than Sparks.

"Wait, wands exist, seriously? What about flying brooms, pointed hats, warts on the nose?" Stiles asked excitedly.

Harry could tell the other didn't believe that they were but Harry just gave a small smile. "Yes to wands existing and Flying Brooms. We actually use them for a sport we call Quidditch, though America has the term Quodpot. We do have pointed hats but they've long since become out of style especially with each passing generation. As for warts, that was actually just a problem in early 1600 that potions have long since cleared up. No warts, obviously. A lot of fairytales about witches and wizards have some type of truth. Obviously, not everything but there is some truth. We've just hidden because of the Salem Witch Trials and hunters," Harry explained.

"That is so cool," Stiles muttered to himself.

"Can we get back to the topic, please," The gloomy man asked, looking highly exasperated.

"I think what my Dear Nephew means to say, is that our Dear Lydia should perhaps cure Jackson?" a smooth creepy voice said from the staircase.

Harry turned, almost not surprised as he should be that someone was hiding in the shadows. Honestly, the number of times Snape or Filch had done that to him made him almost immune to it. Lydia huffed and glared at the man, though Harry thought perhaps she was shaken at seeing the man even as the room tensed as he talked.

Looking at the people, Harry was surprised the Alpha wasn't growing at the man with how red his eyes were, how much he obviously saw the man, his uncle, was a threat to him and his pack. Stiles wasn't any better as he flared and turned around. "Creeperwolf!" Stiles shouted with distaste and shock.

"Stiles," the man purred out like he was fully knowing he would be giving off creepy vibes.

Harry snorted at the obvious manipulation as the man's nephew showed his elongated canines. The dude apparently didn't know that his uncle only said that just to get a rise out of the group. The eyes of the man, or Creeperwolf as Stiles called him, locked with his and he could see the curious look in his eyes that also told Harry the man was easily a Slytherin with how much he looked like he was wondering how to manipulate this to his favor.

Rolling his eyes, Harry turned from the man and back to Lydia. "So, you can help Ja-the Kanima?" Harry asked as he remembered that the Kanima didn't like being called Jackson.

"You don't call him his name?" Body asked, to the right of his Alpha and also crossing his arms, a challenge in his posture.

Knowing this was probably the Right-Hand of the Alpha, Harry tilted his head slightly. "He gets agitated by the name Jackson. Insists he's not Jackson, just the Kanima. So, for now, yeah," Harry said with a small shrug, not really seeing the problem with it as the Kanima purred and rubbed at his leg in thanks.

God, the more he thought about it, the more he realized the Kanima was like a cat. Can be deadly toward certain people was as affectionate as cats can choose to be. He also seemed slightly touch-starved as well as the Kanima practically rubbed its entire body against Harry's leg, the small purr telling Harry how much the Kanima was already enjoying him as his master.

"Look, let's just let Lydia do her thing. Get Ja-Kanima back to normal and boom we move on with our lives?" Stiles said with a small clap of his hands looking eager for all this to be over.

"We'd still have Gerard to worry about," The Alpha pointed out dryly.

Harry didn't know who Gerard was or why they were concerned about him, but all Harry knew was that it was like three in the morning and they had school in three hours, he wanted at least a nap before heading to school. With a nod of his own permission when Lydia's eyes met his, she crept forward until she was kneeling in front of a curious Kanima, no hesitation or nervousness in her features as she held up some type of house key and whispered, "Jackson?"

It was a question, Lydia asking if Jackson remembered it, remembered her and himself. The Kanima reached forward, its head tilting as it stared at the key almost hypnotized. Harry could feel the bond waver inside him, turning from the scaley grin it was to a lighter green that looked like it had flecks of silver. The more the Kanima focused on the key, the more its scales started disappearing until Harry turned his face away slightly because, Woah, that's a naked Jackson that was turning back human.

"Jackson?" Lydia asked, her voice tearful as she stared as Jackson's face turned from its scaley slitted eyes back to human skin with dark blue eyes and brown hair.

" _Ly_ dia?" Jackson muttered, going between hissing back to English, his voice confused, still slightly hypnotized as if he was realizing something.

"It's me," Lydia confirmed, her other hand not holding the key coming up and resting on Jackson's face.

Before any of them could move, Jackson's body seemed to crumble and he was shaking from head to toe, Harry froze as he felt the pain reflect in the bond that was changing colors. "He's having a seizure, get him on his side, move things away from him," Erica shouted as she was instantly by Jackson's side and moving him so he was on his side, letting his body move back and forth.

"Do we call an ambulance?" Stiles' panicky asked.

"No," Harry said his voice calm even as his eyes turned distant, "it's his body changing."

"To what?" the alpha asked, his voice gruff with worry as he knelt beside Erica and helped her hold the body that was continuing to shake.

Pausing and reflecting on the bond, Harry watched part of it detach from him. He was no longer Jackson's master, but the bond stayed because whatever Jackson was turning into loved some type of bonds. Focusing on it, on the silver flecks that coated the light green bond, Harry realized the silver flecks were just like Remus when his golden bond was part of Harry's core.

"A werewolf," Harry muttered and could feel eyes on him as he opened his eyes, he could feel his blood singing at the realization he had a pack again, the Phoenix inside him happy to have more part of his flock.

Unknown to him, Harry's eyes lit a fiery red, orange, and yellow as they met Derek's. "He's turning back into a werewolf," he said louder, more clear and certain.

It was like a spell had been broken with the words, because Jackson turned in their hands, threw his head up, and howled a long tune that only a wolf could make as he shifted.


	7. The Hale Pack

The rest of the night didn't last very long afterward. Mostly with Lydia wanting to take Jackson home, Stiles looking torn between asking Harry more questions and his own bed, Erica leaning against Body with her eyes closing every few seconds, or perhaps it was Issac who had already crashed on the Stilinski couch after it was found Jackson wasn't a threat to them anymore.

Harry had assured the Alpha Werewolf, who he finally found out was named Derek after Stiles finally referred to the man by his name (and Harry was actually paying attention to said name), that Jackson was a werewolf now, not a Kanima. His control might be a bit wonky for the next few days after having someone who wasn't him, control when he shifted, but with an Alpha that urges to change at another command will disappear and he'll have full control.

Honestly, all Harry really wanted to do was pass out in bed because he had school in like two hours. Maybe it was because it was so late the alpha of the current pack of Beacon Hills had let him finally leave even though he looked like had more questions. Though Harry admitted it had been slightly hard to read the man's emotions. The thing was, Harry has long since learned how to read people, mostly for surviving at the Dursleys and later Hogwarts, so when he did finally find the man's tells it got a lot easier.

Even as he finally arrived back home, despite his body urging him to head to bed and just skip school, Harry ignored it and went toward the room he's made into a study. Finding the cabinet in there that contained the potions that Andy had made for him (her being a Potion Mistress was very helpful) and drank one to keep him up for the next twelve hours. He'd definitely crash after school, but at least Harry could go to school.

Grabbing a change of clothes and taking a long shower to further wake up, Harry felt more refreshed than he had the previous day and went back to his study to grab the book Remus had given him ages ago. When he had learned that Remus had come from a long line of hunters that had died out with him, Remus had given Harry his family's Beastiary and his sort of guide for werewolves.

The book had long since been translated into other languages, with English being the most prominent. So Harry had grabbed it, grabbed the tea and biscuits Kreacher had made for him and settled in his chair to wait for either Kreacher or Fawkes to appear and tell him it was time for school.

He started with refreshing what he knew about werewolves and crossed references that with Remus' notes about control, anchors, and pack bonds. Remus had traveled after school, whether it was because of the war or because one of his best friends had gone into hiding and later died, Remus traveled with the resources his grandparents reluctantly left him and found a few packs that didn't mind helping him despite knowing from his last name he came from a Hunting Family.

After all, apparently, it became quite known the Lupin Werewolf Hunters had stopped their trade after the only child of Hector and Lupa had given up on hunting. The reasons had been unknown why Lyall and his wife Hope had stopped, but Harry and anyone who knew Remus knew the truth. After all, you couldn't keep killing the thing that their toddler son was now.

It helped that even before they gave up hunting, Lyall and Hope had been known for letting some werewolves go that hadn't done anything wrong, not like Hector or Lupa who killed anything that wasn't a 'normal' human in their standards. Of course, Remus said that after it was found out he wasn't just a werewolf but could also do magic it really drove the point in for Lyall and Hope that their son was special and they made the right choice. Because very rarely were werewolves anything but wolves, to also be magic was a blessing in and of itself.

Harry knew that was why Andy was going to do her best to hide Teddy, because not only was he already displaying being a born werewolf, he had already done strong magic and his hair and eyes were starting to change colors. Andy joked that Harry's Godfather Bond with the boy had really affected his magic, after all, the Godfather Bond isn't just words. It's a magic way of making the two family even if they don't share blood.

On paper, it's like the child would have three (or four if they had a Godmother Bond too) parents. Harry technically had his parents, and then he had Sirius. What no one mentioned to him at least was that his Godmother had actually been Remus, so in a way, Harry had four parents. Two had died when he was a baby and he only ever really connected with one of them because Sirius' mental health was too shot for Harry to fully understand and get close to like he had with Remus.

Dislodging those thoughts, Harry finally noticed the small hand pulling at his sleeve shirt. Turning he saw Kreacher with his ears pulled back but looked determined. "Master Harry wished Kreacher to alert him when it was time to leave?" Kreacher asked, his voice slightly hesitant.

Obviously, he was afraid he'd done something wrong and Harry watched him relax when he shot him a smile. "Yeah, thanks Kreacher. Do whatever chores you wish to do or take the day off if you want. I don't know if I'm coming straight home or not, but if I need you I'll call you or pull on our bond. Will that be okay?" Harry asked the House Elf.

The Elf shuddered as if having such options was still foreign to him as he nodded quickly. "Kreacher be coming if Master Harry calls. Kreacher be cleaning the house and making sure Fae is happy. Kreacher will see how new wards are settling too," Kreacher said with an eager looking smile that almost looked twisted if Harry didn't know better.

"Sounds good. Don't forget to eat and drink yourself," Harry commented as he grabbed his backpack, sweatshirt, and car keys.

It seemed Kreacher reached his level of kindness because he just sort of meeped and there was a small pop telling Harry the Elf had popped away. Shaking his head at his House Elf, Harry left the house and drove to school. Harry was almost unsurprised by the fact no one from last night was in school. He assumed Lydia and Jackson were together reassuring themselves that he was okay, Stiles probably either talking with his dad or had finally crashed after what when down yesterday. Scott...well he didn't know what was going on with Scott while he assumed Derek's Pack was probably talking.

Harry had gotten the feeling from yesterday that they weren't as close as they should be, perhaps if they were talking they could figure things out and truly be the pack Harry thought they could be. Maybe the problem was that Derek was a Born Wolf, that much he had gathered from how much the man seemed to rely on mannerisms rather than talking, and trying to teach recently Bitten Wolves was probably never in his job description when he was younger.

He continued to wonder about all this as he arrived at school and slowly went through the school day, noting the others definitely didn't show up to school today. The gossip mill was all over the place today ranging from them all being killed to them joining a gang and not wanting to go to school. Then there were the kids that thought maybe they all had a massive orgy but someone in the group had an STD and they were dealing with the fallout.

That particular rumor made Harry snort because what the hell was high school and its rumor mill. He was happy when school had ended because the potion he had taken that morning was easily wearing off. Enough so that Harry knew he shouldn't be driving like this so, with a sigh, he hid behind the building and called for Kreacher.

"Master Harry be calling Kreacher?" Kreacher whispered out knowing non-magicals were nearby and threw up a silencing charm when he noted how tired his master looked.

"Can you teleport me and my car home without anyone noticing? It's not safe for me to drive?" Harry asked the elf as he rubbed at his eyes that kept dropping closed, his body fully ready for his bed now.

He could safely say he had no idea what the teacher had gone over in his last two classes and found that he really didn't care as Kreacher nodded and snapped his fingers. Harry could feel the magic in the air rush away from them and toward the parking lot, Harry didn't bother asking what Kreacher had done as he knew instinctively Kreacher covered his car in a Notice-Me-Not charm and teleported it back home.

The next thing Harry knew was that Kreacher had grabbed his hand gently and they had disappeared in their own small crack. He reappeared in his room and nearly face-planted the floor had Kreacher not used his magic to steady him. Harry blinked opened his tired eyes when he felt the air shift again and looked down and noticed he was in his pajamas. He followed Kreacher's insistent hand as it helped him to bed and didn't argue when Kreacher had tucked his comforter over him.

"Thanks, Kreacher. Love you," Harry muttered tiredly when the elf had taken off Harry's glasses carefully and set them on the bedside table.

Harry was asleep in seconds and never saw the teary happy look Kreacher had or the bond between him and Kreacher solidifying with his words as Kreacher understood that his master really did care for him.

He was still sleeping when the insistent knocking reached his ears. Harry groaned and buried his face in his pillow for a moment. But when the knocking hadn't stopped he finally sighed and took the pillow off his head and got out of bed, glancing at the clock it told him he only had gotten three hours of sleep.

Which made sense since Harry was feeling like he only got a few hours of sleep. Walking toward the front door, his feet warm on the hardwood floors because of the heating charm that was placed all throughout the floors, Harry wrenched open the door with a sleepy scowl on his face even after he saw that it was Stiles on the other side. "What?" Harry growled out, his eyes drooping slightly as he reached up to rub them.

"Dude, Code Red, Jackson's having a bit of trouble with control right now and Derek thought maybe you'd know how to calm him. So like, get dressed ASAP so I can take you to him," Stiles rambled quickly, nearly smacking himself with his own hand movements as he talked faster than his mouth could almost handle.

Harry just sighed, left the front door open, and went to his room to throw on a sweatshirt and socks and shoes. He didn't care about the fact he didn't have an actual shirt on underneath the thin sweatshirt nor the fact his red and black flannel pants were still on him, he just wanted to get this over with so he could go back to sleep.

"Come on, you're driving," Harry grumbled as he grabbed the house keys and locked the door behind him, even when he knew the Fae would never let anyone with Bad Intentions toward him even near the house.

Stiles scrambled to follow Harry who had stomped over toward the Shotgun Seat and got in Stiles' Blue Jeep. "That's it? You don't want to know any more? Like where we've been today?" Stiles asked as he scrambled in his own car and started it, nearly peeling down the dirt path toward the main road.

"Yes. Don't care. Assuming helping Jackson or talking with the other Betas or your dad," Harry grumbled as he sunk into his seat and let his head rest against the glass window.

"What about you? Where'd you been?" Stiles asked.

Harry hummed and peeled his eyes open. "Stayed awake. School. Crash," Harry mumbled out as both his magical core and his bond with Fawkes flared through his body, heating him just a bit so he wasn't cold. Sighing as he wasn't cold, Harry felt himself drift off, for once Stiles keeping quiet as he could tell how tired Harry seemed.

Stiles sat and briefly glanced toward Harry, wishing for a moment he really thought about bringing the other boy into the supernatural after he realized that maybe his joke to Scott about him being a werewolf had actually been a possibility. But his reasoning was that he didn't want to drag the other boy who obviously had been abused into this mess. It was the same logic for not wanting to tell his Dad despite knowing his dad would probably take it in stride to a degree. He'd have questions, for sure, but he would more than likely accept Stiles' decision in heading straight first and staying in the Supernatural world.

To find out that both his father and the boy he saw as a brother both knew about the supernatural? That Harry himself was supernatural? It ate at Stiles and he wondered why he felt like he couldn't have told them. They would've helped him, Harry at least especially with how cut off from civilization he was. They could've tied Scott up there during the Full Moon. Plus, he knows Harry was into that Inner Peace Shit because he's seen a few meditation books ever now and again about finding inner peace or something. Maybe those books had something to do with finding control for his magic or something? Stiles felt distraught at the idea he didn't know the other boy and vowed that now that everything was out in the open, he'd get to fully know his brother.

Because like it or not, Harry was his brother. His father even thought so, even pulling Stiles' aside before the Supernatural and making sure he was okay with Harry joining their ragtag family. Maybe not officially, but unofficially. Stiles had been all for it, he knew as soon as his father had brought Harry home who owned nothing but a backpack and then rambled nearly as hard as Stiles generally does under stress that they weren't getting rid of the teen.

Stiles' thoughts drifted back to the present when he neared the Loft Derek had recently purchased, apparently now that things had settled slightly he wanted him and his pack to actually have a place to be other than a train depo. Maybe it helped that throughout the day Stiles had gotten a text from his father saying Derek had been exonerated of all charges once new evidence was brought to life.

Though, he knew it wouldn't look quite good for Scott since it was only him that said Derek had been attacking them at the school and that Melissa was going to be highly upset with her werewolf son.

Parking the son and dislodging the thoughts, Stiles reached over and shook Harry carefully on his shoulder.

Harry had blinked his sleepy eyes open and Stiles almost regretted grabbing him from the sleep he had obviously needed but pushed it aside for the moment. His brother could sleep once Jackson wasn't a threat toward the population because he was nearly feral at the moment.

"Here?" Harry asked with a yawn as he rubbed his eyes, feeling slightly better as Fawkes helpfully supplied him some energy.

Shivering as he felt like he was nearly doused in cold water from Fawkes, Harry sat up and followed Stiles out of the car when he saw him nod. The place looked a bit rundown and perhaps abandoned. Harry actually thought it might be a good place considering the apartment would obviously have more rooms than the top floor, so any pack members that needed a place to say could claim a room themself and live near their Alpha.

His magic instantly started to filter through the air, picking up for any trances of untowardness toward him. When he felt nothing but perhaps slight desperation, Harry pulled his magic back and followed Stiles up the stairs and toward the top floor. The trip had Stiles slightly out of breath, but Harry grew up in a castle with more than three floors, so he was absolutely fine as Stiles pushed the rolling door aside.

The loft was still empty, was the first thing Harry noted which he put off to either having recently gotten the place, not wanting to set up roots only to be uprooted, or perhaps a combination of the two if what he's read about the Hale Fire. Then his eyes met the sharp sky blue beta eyes of a werewolf that was being restrained by three other beta werewolves while their alpha was talking with his creepy uncle about what to do.

In seconds though as Harry's eyes connected with Jackson's, it was like a bottle of Liquid Strength poured through Jackson's veins because he had suddenly pushed off the three betas, jumped over the couch in the way, and was racing toward where Stiles and Harry were.

Harry's eyes widen for a fraction of a second because he could feel his magic no coming to raise in his defense and pushed Stiles' aside as Jackson's form crumbled into him even as Derek and Peter raced toward Jackson. They had been just seconds too slow because Harry had toppled over from Jackson's force.

Briefly, he was dizzy from the sudden movement from being standing to lying on his back, but Harry finally got his wits back and noted the high pitched whining coming from the body on top of him along with the cold nose directly on the skin of his neck where he knew a vein was.

Flashing back to when Remus had done something similar in the third year when he had driven Hermione, Ron, and the floating Snape off, his werewolf uncle had raced toward him. Harry had thought at the time he was going to die from his uncle, even Sirius couldn't help from where Remus had slashed his side pretty good to get him away from Harry. But all Remus had done was let out a high pitch whine and practically shoves his slightly feral form in Harry's neck and breathed deeply for nearly the entire night.

Sirius and Remus had sat him down later to explain the actions. Apparently, because Harry was the son of Remus' previous Alpha, Remus' other half had taken it to mean that Harry was Remus' Alpha and well, an Alpha's scent always calmed agitated Beta's instantly.

With the knowledge that Jackson wasn't going to harm him, Harry tilted his head more to the side and could practically feel Jackson fall boneless when he had more access to Harry's natural calming scent. "So...I suppose I'm his current Alpha?" Harry asked from where he was still laying on the floor, his arms and legs spread out as if he was trying to make a Snow Angel on the cold concrete of Derek's Loft.

"You okay?" Derek asked Harry cautiously, moving toward Harry's side slowly and reaching down to help Stiles up from where Harry had pushed him away.

"Um? Yes? I mean, he's just sniffing me right now. You want me to try and calm him down?" Harry asked, his right hand finally moving from its place on the ground and slowly brought it to Jackson's hair where he slowly massaged it.

Jackson whined and seemed to press himself more into Harry, going from sniffing at Harry to rubbing his cheek along his neck and slightly on his chest.

"You can try. We've been trying for most of the day, but you being his Alpha makes sense on why it didn't seem to be completely working," Derek gruffly said, almost like it was paining him to talk this much.

Nodding slowly in order to not dislodge Jackson, Harry breathed in deeply and moved his hand from rubbing Jackson's hair to his neck and rubbed it softly. Jackson leaned into the movement instantly and Harry used that to his advantage to slowly move his hand away and cause Jackson to chase it. Now having a bit more wiggled room, Harry used that hand to carefully have Jackson look at him.

Jackson whined when he could see Harry's slight frown and furrowed brows, but seemed to instinctively move back to readily listen to Harry. "Jackson, can you hear me?" Harry asked softly, his heartbeat calm and slow, making sure his breathing matched it.

With a slight whimper, Jackson nodded, his sky blue eyes shining brightly as they stared at Harry, his nose twitching as he seemed to try and take more of Harry's calm scent. "Good. That's really good. Now, I want you to focus on my heartbeat, okay? I want you to try and match yours to mine. Let me know when you think you've got that, okay?" Harry asked softly, making sure to keep calm and keep scenting Jackson's neck, knowing his wolf would need it after not having its apparent Alpha for just over 12 hours after being recently changed.

Jackson had closed his eyes and was breathing slow deep breaths. Harry could tell he kept getting distracted every few seconds but made sure to keep his own heart rate and breathing even as he noted the others go to the side of the room, Derek standing in front of them to protect them from Jackson should the beta lose control.

Finally, Jackson nodded and reopened his eyes, they were less intense of a blue, and he looked calmer already. "Good. You're doing such a good job," Harry praised him and could practically see Jackson preen. Harry kept that in mind for later. "Now that you're heartbeat feels more in control, I want you to think about changing back to what you might normally look like. Feel the sideburns slowly slip off, your eyes shifting from their beautiful sky blue color back to the brilliant color they were before the change. Feel your nails shrink and become their blunted self. Take the moment and just listen to my voice, everything slowly falling to the background as he focuses on changing back. Let what you currently look like slip through your fingers, knowing that if needed you can grasp it if you feel in danger. But you're not in danger, I'm here, your pack is here. Everything is alright, you don't have to be changed," Harry calmly said, adding a bit of suggestion in his voice and let his magic through their bond slightly.

He could see Jackson struggling a bit, so Harry kept saying the instructions in his smooth calm voice, letting Jackson focus on his voice and not anything else that might be distracting. Soon, his pinched contracted look smoothed out and with it, Jackson's face started to shift back to what he normally looked like Pre-Werewolf bite.

When he finally had fully changed back, he slumped over Harry as if the strings holding him up had been cut. Harry made sure to praise him and could practically feel the inner bond sing as Jackson took in the praise. Looking over Jackson's shoulder from where he was slumped against Harry, Harry nodded toward Derek who nodded back toward him.

"Come on, I'm sure you're tired," Harry commanded softly to Jackson, his hand running through his hair and rubbed at his neck.

Jackson gave a tired whine as he slowly detached himself from Harry who started shifting and allowed the wizard to pull him to his feet and toward the lone couch in Derek's loft. Setting Jackson on it, Harry sat down heavily and let Jackson practically lay in his lap and fall asleep instantly.

"You know, this wasn't what I was expecting when I was being dragged out of my house," Harry commented out loud, knowing nothing would wake Jackson so long as he was sleeping close to Harry.

Derek huffed, which Harry could tell was a laugh from the way his lips twitched upward just a small fraction before they fell again from where he was refraining from showing emotions. Finally moving from his pack, the unanimous release for them to do whatever they pleased, he made his way to Harry.

"Thank you," Derek said with a small tilt of his head, an acknowledgment but more importantly, a show of respect for werewolves. It was a deep sign of respect to show one their neck, especially from an alpha.

Even knowing this, Harry barely hesitated in returning the gesture. Derek seemed to tense for a minute as he examined Harry before his lips twitched upwards as Harry relaxed and let his head lean against the back of the couch, his tiredness coming back in full.

"I suppose we should talk about what we should do now?" Harry asked with a tired look that was both from exhaustion from last night, but Derek could tell there was deeper exhaustion there that meant levels of deep pain. He recognized it only because Derek had the same look most days.

Taking in a deep breath because he certainly hadn't been expecting that look in someone as young as Harry looked, but also somehow unsurprised because Derek knew just how cruel the world was, he nodded to Harry in agreement. "What did you think we should do?" he asked because clearly, Harry knew a lot about the supernatural, perhaps more than Derek.

Derek's knowledge only went up to whatever a fifteen-year-old learned and even then most of his time was spent on school and trying to get a girlfriend. Derailing that thought before it got out of hand, Derek focused on Harry who looked thoughtful even as his hand started to comb through Jackson's hair.

"The easiest way to go about Jackson? Transfer the Alpha bond he has with me to you by you being my Alpha. That is if you would like me in your pack, Alpha Hale?" Harry asked with a respectful tone, taking in the way Derek setting his shoulders straighter at the title and the way his eyes flashed red.

"You don't even know me, and you want to be apart of my pack?" Derek asked, his tone hard as he stared at Harry, wondering why the boy would trust him with his life.

After all, Derek had already killed one of his packs, why would anyone trust him with another? But he just saw Harry's easy-going smile that spoke of sadness and loneliness. "Because I want a pack again. And I think once you figure out how to be an Alpha, you'll be a great one. Derek, I can tell you weren't trained to be an Alpha. That combined with being a Born Wolf? I know we've just met and you don't know if you can trust me, but trust when I say I miss having a pack. My uncle had been a werewolf, and he saw me as his Alpha because my father had been his. I miss him, I miss the feeling of the bond we shared, of feeling like I mattered. We don't have to make the bond now, you can give me a trial period, but I couldn't choose a better pack than the one I'm staring at right now," Harry said earnestly, knowing that for once in his life he wanted to be selfish. Selfish for the bond he once shared with his uncle.

Because Phoenix's don't like being alone in a flock. Fawkes had attested to that, it's why he had the Friendship Bond with Dumbledore and after he died he instantly made his way to Harry and later performed the Life Bond with him. Harry was lonely even with Stiles and Noah. He wanted the feeling of a pack again, desperately wished for it.

Derek stared at Harry for a while, seeming to be thinking, before he slowly nodded. "A trial period would be good. If you've had a bond with a werewolf before does that mean you know about Pack Bonds?" Derek asked curiously.

"Yes. I've become even more entuned to them when a magical creature formed a bond with me. I can call about him and a friend that's also bonded with me. That way when we do bond you know exactly who you're also connecting to?" Harry asked as the pack slowly edged closed upon hearing that Harry was more than likely joining them.

Erice, Boyd, and Issac clearly looked curious, glancing between Harry and Derek, Stiles just looked like he couldn't help but wonder who these people were and why Harry seemed intent on joining Derek's pack. Harry's always been a great judge of character for the few months Stiles had known him, maybe Scott and he were wrong about Derek?

Stiles glanced at Derek and winced when he remembered that they had him arrested for the murder of his sister when it was clear the man cared for her. Maybe...maybe he'd have to take Derek aside before he left tonight and properly apologize to him. He knew Scott wouldn't, his best friend was of the mindset Derek was the bad guy in this scenario, but Stiles wondered for a moment if they had truly been the bad guys. Because while he didn't really like the idea of murder, he also understood why Peter Hale had done what he did. Sure the man had been insane, but he had also been trapped in his mind for 6 years while the bonds he had with his family had been agonizingly broken.

Wincing because yeah, that would surely hurt like hell Stiles knew he owed Derek a massive apology and wondered if the older male would accept it. He hoped so because he remembers Erica and Issac pre-werewolf, he wondered how they would be post-werewolf with the knowledge they didn't have to hide anymore. Maybe Stiles could finally have more friends than Scott? It sounded like that was what pack was all about, and Stiles could safely say that sounded really nice.

"What are they?" Derek asked cautiously.

"One of them is a House Elf, they bind themselves to a witch or wizard to live and because of that, they usually help take care of them, as a way to repay that debt they felt like they had. Sadly the magicals of my world take advantage of that and for generations, House Elves were treated like slaves, I'm not like that, but it's a process with my House Elf for him to know someone actually cares for him. Would you like for me to call for him?" Harry asked as he rubbed his eyes, feeling like he could use some type of caffeine.

Derek slowly nodded, his shoulders tense and he could feel the urge in his hands for his claws in case this House Elf meant him trouble.

"Kreacher, can you come here please?" Harry called out to the air.

The other briefly wondered why for a moment as they thought perhaps it was just tugging of a bond, but then a small pop had them turning toward the couch where an ugly little thing with ears practically as large as it's body appeared, a mug in his hand as he held it out for Harry.

Blinking in slight surprise, Harry took the cup and noted it was coffee, something he didn't particularly like but knew it would keep him a bit more awake. "Thanks, Kreacher. These are my friends, Derek will be my Alpha one day if things go well, please keep that in mind," Harry said softly and with affection clearly in his voice as he looked at the elf.

The Elf ducked as if the affection was new to him even as he shot a suspicious look toward Derek. "If Master Harry ever needs Kreacher to hide a body, Master Harry knows where to go," He said with an unimpressed huff as he stared at Derek and crossed his arms.

There was a laugh and both Harry and Kreacher turned to where Derek's uncle was sitting on the spiral stairs case that lead to the upper part of the loft. "I've only heard about House Elves, never met the loyal things myself," he mocked slightly but he could almost see the amused look in his eyes from Kreacher's woods.

Kreacher huffed looking unamused. "Master Harry is Kreacher's only Master! Kreacher not be taking orders from Master Harry's Alpha! Kreacher wants Alpha Mutt to know!" Kreacher shouted before he scowled at the group and disappeared once more.

Harry sighed and shook his head with a fond smile. "He likes insulting things. Don't take it to heart, but yeah, he'll only listen to me and my significant other, just so you know. But you'll welcome to tell me messages to pass on or anything. His personality is pretty much always that, just so you know," Harry said amusedly.

At least Derek didn't seem insulted by Kreacher's words, if anything the man was amused while Stiles looked like he had so many questions but a warning look from Harry made him keep his mouth shut. Right, he would learn more about Harry when his father finally pulled both of them aside. Plus, Harry probably didn't want to spill all his secrets to people he just met and Stiles had to respect that.

"The other bond is Fawkes, he's my best friend and he's Life Bonded with me," Harry explained as Derek's shoulders rammed straight up, and even Peter leaned in his spot on the seat.

A Life Bond was serious business and only magical creatures that saw themself in the other Life Bonded with them. Derek's only ever heard the fairytale of them, never actually met anyone with a bond like that. Peter was having similar thoughts because that type of bond was extremely rare and a serious thing. An insult to one meant an insult to the other, it also meant that if one died, the other would die with it.

"Fawkes, do you have time to come here?" Harry asked softly as he gently pinged toward his bond with Fawkes.

He could feel Fawkes' happy coo over the bond and barely batted an eye when a bright flash of fire came from his left shoulder before a soft weight landed on them. Fawkes cooed, this time in his presence and not through their bond, and rubbed his cheek against Harry's own.

Instantly Harry carefully set the mug down and used that hand to softly rub his fingers against Fawkes' torso, feeling a bit unease with the stares he was getting. "Is..Is that a Phoenix?" A choked voice asked from the stairs as he stared at Harry and Fawkes.

"Yeah, this is Fawkes. I've known him since I was twelve," Harry said fondly which Fawkes instantly twittered in the same tone, gently bitting Harry's fingers with affection like Hedwig used to do.

Fawkes sat on his shoulder and because he seemed extremely happy and content, let out his song a bit even as his fire flared around his tail, not actually touching the couch as his magic made it disappear before it lit anything. As he played his soft song, Harry could see everyone nearly intense, some even looking surprised to note they had been tense. Jackson just sighed deeper and snuggled further into Harry's lap.

"This is the other bond connected to mine, as you can tell. I suppose I have one more to my godson but it's a bit weak right now. I haven't seen him recently and he's only a couple of months old, his werewolf hasn't fully shown itself yet," Harry informed the man thoughtfully as he looked to his core and remembered the weak, baby-like bond he still had with Teddy. It was getting stronger as the months went on, but Teddy was still young and it would be a few years before his wolf fully settled and showed itself to him and Andy.

"I don't think these bonds will be a problem," Derek finally said after clearing his thought, still surprised by the actual Phoenix in front of him, the thing of actual legends that no one was really seen for thousands of years, who were known for being extremely picky about who they chose to hang out with. Any thoughts of untrust toward Harry died with Fawkes' appearance and how at ease he seemed with Harry and the pack.

"Good. If you don't mind, perhaps I could just stop by after school tomorrow if we want to discuss more? I'm extremely tired?" Harry asked, knowledging the caffeine from the coffee literally did nothing for his exhaustion apparently.

It seemed Derek picked up on that himself because he nodded. He wanted to talk to his pack too anyway, maybe talk to Stiles who looks like he was ready to grab Derek and drag him to another room, not that Derek's wolf would fully complain even though rational thought did. Ever since Stiles had kept him alive in the pool while he was paralyzed, it was like something had awoken in his wolf that saw Stiles in a new light that Derek was more than ashamed of.

Plus, if Derek had his way he'd be grilling his uncle more about what he might know about Harry's type of magical, Phoenix's, and House Elves. Because apparently there was more to this town than Derek first assumed and he wanted to know more about his potential new packmate.

"Good. I'll take Jackson home with me, get him and his wolf settled. Fawkes, can you take us home?" Harry asked knowing trying to apparate would be a terrible idea. Not only because he was still very new at it, but he's never tried Side-Apparation before.

Fawkes trilled and before anyone could fully react, there was a flash of fire and the trio was gone.

Probably for the best, as many of the group was still reeling from the being named Harry Potter.


	8. A Persuasive Training

"So, you want me to try and teach them control?" Harry asked confusedly from where he was sitting in the new chair Derek recently bought while Derek himself was sitting on the same couch Harry had been sitting in nearly a week ago.

Derek shifted, looking like he'd rather not be having this conversation or any conversation, and nodded. "I'm a born wolf, I've realized quite quickly that when I try and teach them enough control for the full moon next week, it's hard. Harder than I thought. With you having a Bitten Werewolf Uncle and magic yourself, I was wondering if you had a better approach?"

Looking thoughtfully toward Derek, Harry slowly nodded as previous thoughts and conversations from Remus ran around his mind, combining with other magical tools he learned. "I might have an idea. But we won't know how effective it will be until a few days maybe? And it would have to be one-on-one training because each person is different. Will that be okay? Will you even be okay with me being around a beta or did you want to sit in on them?" Harry asked knowing how antsy Alpha's can be if their Beta was left alone with someone no-quite pack like Harry.

The difference between None-Pack and Harry though was the Trial-Period, Harry had a bond with the pack, but it wasn't as strong as the Alpha fully claiming him into the pack just yet. Harry was slightly surprised at how strong the bond was as it was though, because it wasn't as weak as it could be, in fact, it was borderline pack.

There was hesitation in Derek's features before it smoothed out and a hesitant small smile appeared on his face. "I think you're the only option if I want my Betas to have even the remote control come this full moon and I don't trust my uncle with it yet," Derek admitted with a slightly sheepish look, "but if you and the beta in question are okay with it, I would like to join you, even if it's just being in the corner of the room."

Nodding in understanding, Harry was almost excited for trying to teach the betas control, he remembered how nice it was when Remus had done this type of training when Harry was learning Occulmency with him and the Patronus Charm. How much of a bonding experience it could be.

Derek had planned the first session for later that same day with Issac as Issac was staying at the loft anyway while Boyd and Erica were going on a date. So, in preparation for it, Harry went toward a trunk Remus and he had complied when Remus had been teaching Occulmency to Harry and grabbed a few yellow candles from the stash while he was briefly home.

He could already feel the magic emitting from the candles and grabbed some of the Dark Chocolate Remus had gotten his hands on and took them with him when he went to Derek's later that day.

"So...what are we doing?" Issac asked awkwardly as he stood by the couch, his hands shoved in his jeans while he stared at Harry who entered with the candles and chocolate, eyeing them wearily.

"First, I am going to let Derek know that I'm going to light a candle, don't worry it can't burn the place down, there's a rune to extinguish the flame if it gets knocked over or if something's dangling over it. It's safe," Harry said as he set the candles in the corner of the room and set the chocolates right by that stash. "Next, we are going to sit, and I'm going to lead you through the steps to relax. We're working on that first and then I'll work on clearing your mind. Once we have that, then we can find your Inner Wolf and find what calms it. Does this sound okay to you?" Harry asked calmly, taking in the curious looks from Derek who was sitting on the spiral stairs while Issac just nodded uncertainly.

Harry gave him a reassuring smile as he looked around the empty loft and figured just sitting on the hardwood would make do for now. He'd have to ask Derek if werewolves like certain textures better than others and what might naturally calm the inner wolf. Turning off the lights of the loft, Harry moved and just sat on the empty floor and waved a hand in front of him for Issac.

Issac took the hint and sat stiffly in front of Harry. Giving him another smile, Harry sat the candle he brought with them between them and let his hand hover over the wick. Steeling himself and focusing on the wick, Harry let his magic spark and watched the wick instantly lite up with a flame. Moving his hand away and trying to relax the startled Issac with another smile, he knew it was time for Issac to focus and hopefully the natural magic from the candle will help.

Taking a breath, Harry started talking in a calm, soothing voice. "Issac, I know this is probably weird, and you're probably really anxious right now. But there's no reason to be," Harry said carefully, letting Issac and his eyes meet, "listen to my heart, I mean you no harm, neither now nor in the future. You're my friend, and I'm just helping you relax. Relax and let your shoulders untense, your hands unclench from your jeans, and just rest them loosely where is comfortable. Each moment as you listen to my heart, you feel the tension leaving your body. There's nothing wrong, you're just focusing on my heart. Everything else is falling away. Just me, and my heartbeat. Nothing here is a danger to you, everything is slowly drifting away. Until it's just my voice and my heartbeat that is filling your ears. Are you relaxed?" Harry asked, letting the natural persuasion of a calm voice echo around Issac.

Remus had taught the persuasive skill when he was learning Occulmency. It was similar to what Non-Magicals call Hypnosis, where you just use your voice and suggestion to manipulate the other person. With good intentions, it can actually help the other person like with what Remus had done for Harry and what Harry was doing for Issac.

"Yeah," Issac muttered softly, his eyes transfixed with Harry's even though Harry could tell he wasn't actually seeing anything in front of him, his focus was on Harry and his calm heartbeat that never changed. A steady rhythm for Issac to focus on.

"Do you feel how relaxed you are? How your shoulders feel as though they've been lifted. Nothing is weighing you down, you feel light as a feather, like this. Your arms feel loose, all muscles feeling plaint while they rest in your lap. Every muscle in your body is relaxing and relaxing," Harry said and could practically see how much tension Issac had before he started talking. This Issac's head was slowly falling toward his chest in his relaxed state. "I want you to remember this feeling, remember how it feels to be this relaxed. Issac?" Harry asked suddenly frowning as Issac's head finally stopping fighting to lift itself up.

"He fell asleep," an amused voice commented from the side.

Derek looked relaxed himself as he leaned against the stairs, his body pressed against the railings.

Harry turned back to Issac. "Huh...whoops. I guess I got him too relaxed for his first time. He'll get better," Harry commented as he slowly sat up and stretched his own relaxed muscles. Bending down both to stretch his back and to pick up the lit candle, Harry used his finger and pinched the wick to stop the fire. It was slightly melted, based upon how much they spent maybe 30 minutes with Harry relaxing Issac.

"What was that?" Derek asked as he moved down the steps and stretched himself, watching with slightly droopy eyes as Harry went to turn the lights back on for the loft.

"It's a combination of Candle Magic and what Non-Magicals call Hypnosis. Well, close to it, I was using my calm voice and persuasion to get Issac to just focus on me and my voice and it allowed him to relax. I usually do that to get the person to know what a Relaxed Body feels like because more often than not, someone doesn't actually know what their body is supposed to feel like when relaxed," Harry said as he set the Candle by the others and grabbed the chocolate.

Opening a pack, Harry broke half of it and handed it to Derek after he carefully lifted Issac from the ground and placed him on the couch. Derek took it after grabbing one of the random pillows that came with the couch and a blanket and set them over Issac.

"And the chocolate?" Derek asked as he nibbled on his piece.

"It naturally has magic in it because anything in nature has magic. Since Dark Chocolate is mostly comprised of cocoa, it's actually highly magical in nature. Why do you think everyone loves chocolate when they feel upset?" Harry informed as he shoved his piece in his mouth.

Derek hummed as he finished his own piece and relaxed against the wall. Harry thought perhaps his session with Issac and the others might benefit Derek as well, Harry couldn't remember seeing the man as relaxed and open as he was in this moment. Because of that, a thought crossed his mind and he hesitantly asked, "Did you want me to do this with you as well? I mean, you don't have to give me an answer now, you'll be sitting on my sessions with the others anyway. But well, a Relaxed Alpha means good health for his Betas as well," Harry awkwardly said as he tried not to pick at the edge of his hoodie.

Harry almost wished he hadn't said anything from the way Derek's shoulders tensed back to their normal state, his face becoming guarded from its open state. But just as it appeared, Derek's shoulders dropped and he looked old, older than his age. "Maybe," Derek finally said after a moment, looking tired and haunted.

Biting his lips, Harry thought maybe there was more to the fire than Harry briefly read about. He didn't read too much into it, it felt almost rude when knowing one of the people and Harry had a feeling it was almost going to become Pack's Guidance Counselor with how this was going so far. He wanted Derek to feel comfortable with him. "Did...did you want this potion called a Dreamless Sleep for tonight? I can't give it to you too many times and especially not for two days in a row. But the name implies what it does, it gives you a night's rest without Dreams, both good and bad," Harry informed him, wanting that tired haunted look to disappear.

Derek looked surprised like Harry's offering was perhaps one of the kindest things someone has done for him in the past few years. "You would do that? For me? Even though you're not even pack yet?" Derek asked looking startled and uncertain.

Harry shrugged awkwardly, almost understanding what Derek was feeling. "We all get nightmares, if I can help you for one night then so be it," Harry said as he leaned against the same wall as Derek and slid down, letting his butt hit the floor, Harry felt more guarded against his own thoughts.

Derek followed him after a second, sliding down the wall himself, their shoulders and thighs pressed together just for comfort. "What are your nightmares comprised of?" Derek asked after a moment and looking like he was beating himself over the comment.

Harry kept quiet for a moment, debating with himself, and just as Derek's mouth opened to apologize and say he didn't answer, Harry told him the truth. "I dream of my mother pleading with her killer for him to not kill me but take her instead. I dream of my abusive uncle. I dream of the magical war I was in from the ages of 11 to 16. I dream of my death," Harry asked with absent eyes, his mind going back to each nightmare-inducing scenario.

A high pitch whine drew Harry away from his thoughts and he realized Derek had drawn him toward his chest, his arm thrown around Harry's shoulder as his nose buried in his neck, a high pitch whine leaving as Derek's wolf nature tried to calm Harry down with his scent even though Harry couldn't spell Derek.

Knowing comfort when it's given, especially from werewolves, Harry practically collapsed against Derek, thankful for a moment that he knew Derek wasn't going to push. After all, the only person that really gets another's trauma, is when that person has also gone through their own trauma.

Pushing down the words of "I'm fine" knowing Derek would hear the lie, Harry let his arms encircle Derek and rub his cheek against Derek's neck, knowing the scent-marking would calm Derek down further and let him know more than words that Harry would be okay. Maybe not now, but eventually.

Derek's wolf purred, a rumble deep in his chest that reminded Harry of a cat, and finally shifted off Harry looking calmer than a few seconds ago as someone other than his uncle seemed to understand werewolves and would let Derek scent-mark or even just casually touch him like the Alpha in him has been wanting.

Harry seemed to understand Derek's werewolf because he just leaned against Derek and further calmed Derek's pacing wolf. It has been pacing ever since he turned Issac, Boyd, and Erica. Derek's rational side knowing the teens would be weirded out from how touchy Derek's wolf wanted to be, how he constantly fought himself from touching their necks, leaving his scent behind.

"If you explained it to them, they'd be okay with it. They probably don't realize how much their wolf wants it until you do it. Just talk to them, explain it, explain what you and they are feeling. Their wolves are probably being just as affected as you," Harry told him as his hand rested on Derek's wrist and carefully thumbed it, leaving his scent there casually.

Derek seemed to sink into the touch as he leaned into Harry and slowly nodded, realizing he was going to have to start really having conversations with his Betas. He was still worried for their survival, but he's the one who had bitten them, their whole life has been affected by him and his decision, it was time to really tell them about the culture and world they're living in now. Survival was still important, but part of Derek has calmed from the worry of someone attacking his new territory with Harry's arrival to the pack.

The Alpha in Derek just knew, somehow, that Harry would never let anyone hurt them. He was pack, Derek realized with a slight jolt, he was pack, and that meant family. And even being in Harry's limited presence he could tell family meant a lot to Harry.

It always did to those who have lost theirs early in life. Derek would know.

With that knowledge, Derek relaxed against Harry and just took comfort in the solidifying bond of Harry with each passing minute. Harry himself just closed his eyes and soaked in the feeling of a flock, a family to call his own finally.

Things might not be perfect, but together maybe they would be alright.


	9. A Hunter's Calling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This got darker than I originally meant. Warnings for Mental Health Issues.

Harry spent the days that were leading up to the full moon with Erica, Issac, and Boyd. He felt confident that through his technic they should be okay by the time of the full moon, already they felt the Pack Bonds more than before and were slowly adapting, learning, and accepting their new wolfish behaviors. They were eating nearly twice the amount from before and were always hanging out at Derek's loft after school and rubbing against Derek for scent marking. Derek returning the favor with a deep happy rumble in his chest that further calmed his pack.

Being closer to their wolves make it easier for them to realize what agitates them, what disgusts them, and most importantly, what calms them down. Issac was his father, which Harry was still surprised about, but Issac admitted to him it wasn't his current father, but the one before his mother and father died. How caring he used to be, where he would put Issac to bed and read to him whatever story Issac had wanted at the time. How his father had been the one to teach him how to swim while his older brother would swim circles around him and act like a shark underneath. It was those moments that calmed let Issac stay with his humanity, it was his anchor.

For Boyd it had been similar, he had chosen his little sister who had disappeared when she had been eight years old on her way from school where Boyd should've been walking her home. But Boyd had gotten detention and his parents weren't answering their phones, so Alicia Boyd had tried walking home from school for the first time and last time. She had been the reason why Boyd was in the Air Force ROTC program at school, Alicia had desired even at a young age to follow their father's footsteps in joining the air force. Boyd admitted he didn't know if he wanted to fully go into the air force, but he admitted he felt closer to his sister by doing the program at school.

Erica was a lot harder. And the reason because what drew her to her humanity was something she hadn't wanted to admit to herself. Erica's anchor to her humanity was who she had been before she had the bite. The constant seizures, hospital visits, her parents worry she might not make it to 10, then 11, then 12, and so on and so forth. Remembering how she used to be before the bite, always seemed to draw Erica back to herself as she remembered how it was beforehand, how great she felt now and how nice it was to have friends.

Erica was the one that Harry worried about most when it came to the full moon because while it was a great anchor for everyday use, he didn't know if it was strong enough on the full moon when she would be more wolf than human, those memories of the past would be shoved back of her mind. Maybe with a bit of work, she would have a second anchor to really help her wolf. Harry had been whispering to Derek about possibly bringing Erica's parents into this because one they would surely notice the difference in her daughter, and two if they accepted her, then they would certainly be a stronger anchor than her current one.

Derek agreed and they were still planning on a good time to do so and when a good time for Erica to do it with them. This wasn't exactly something they could do behind Erica's back but they could tell it was also something they were going to have to slightly push towards with how hesitant she had been when they first announced it.

A brush of feathers against his cheek brought Harry away from the homework he had been staring at for the past hour just lost in thoughts about his current pack and thoughts of the full moon. Fawkes trilled beside him and nudged his cheek gently. Looking toward the side of the desk and seeing the time, Harry sighed and set the bouncing pencil down.

"Guess it's time," he muttered to himself as he dragged himself away from his desk and shoved his feet into his sneakers. "We driving or are you taking us?" Harry asked as Fawkes settled on his shoulders.

Feeling the bond, Harry could tell Fawkes wanted to teleport themselves, so he ignored his jacket and left the keys where they were. He went toward the kitchen and grabbed the container of cookies he had stressed baked earlier and grabbed them. "Alright, let's go," Harry said with a small sigh knowing this had been coming for weeks.

Fawkes trilled a reassuring tone before they disappeared in his flames. Harry could feel his muscles relax as the seconds passed, the fire around him felt like they were engulfing him in a hug that entered his very body. Harry always thought that maybe this was what a Mother's Hug was supposed to feel like but had nothing to compare it to.

Too soon the flames disappeared and Harry's eyes focused on the familiar Stilinski Living Room. "I'm here," Harry announced as he moved toward the kitchen where Stiles and Noah were teasing each other. Stiles trying to stop Noah from making real bacon for the home-made mac and cheese he had been making.

"You're here!" Stiles shouted excitedly as he practically tripped over his feet to go toward Harry with a wide grin seemingly distracted. Noah just grinned and continued to cook the bacon with a smug grin.

"No, I'm Astral Projecting because I know that if I give you a chance you'll bombard me your lanky self, and someone would get hurt," Harry dryly commented as he set the cookies on the island counter.

"Really?" Stiles asked, his eyes widening with excitement at the possibility.

Refraining from smacking his head with his hand, Harry just shook his hand. "Merlin no! I don't know how to Astral Project, it's not taught at Hogwarts," Harry dismissively said as he moved toward one of the stools. Bringing his hand up for Fawkes, he watched the firebird shift from his shoulder to his hand and moved his hand to the chair. Fawkes transferred easily and settled on his new perch from the back of the stool.

"Wait? So Astral Projecting is real? And Merlin? Does that mean he's also real?" Stiles questioned, looking like he was about to spontaneously combust with his questions.

Harry was slightly surprised by the fact he wasn't all that annoyed with the questions, in fact, his chest felt warm with how interested Stiles seemed in the non-human side of things. "Yes to both. Merlin is known in our community as being the Greatest Wizard to ever live. He's presumed dead," Harry said with a small shrug, never really paying too much attention to History Class and knew Binns never said anything about Merlin, the ghost only talking about the Goblin Wars and man that was no interesting.

"Presumed? No one ever found his body or something?" Stiles asked leaning against the counter with interest as he stared at Harry with intensity.

"That is what presumed dead means," Harry commented hoping that dinner was going to be ready soon, "He sort of just disappeared like a three-hundred years after Arthur died. Didn't tell anywhere he was going other than Morgana Le Fey who went with him because they were lovers. Which literally meant no one knew where they were going, how much longer than we're going to live, and just sort of disappeared off the face of the earth."

"Wait, three-hundred? That's how long magicals live for? Is that normal?" Stiles asked, though his tone was more concerned than anything else as he stared intently at Harry.

Harry noted that even Noah had seemed to tense at the age and was paying more attention to their conversation. Feeling awkward, Harry shrugged. "I mean, no. Theirs a reason they're called the Greatest Wizard and Witch. Though, Nicholas Flammel and his wife were second because they created a stone that extended their age. Nicholas Flammel recently went back home to die in peace at the age of 682. The only one who knew where they were going to die in peace was Dumbledore who was their close friend. That said, a natural witch and wizard's lifespan is generally around 100 years old. Though depending on how strong the castor is, it can go higher than that to another 100 years. We age slowly, someone once said they fully expect me to probably live to around 160ish years old and that was before Fawkes Life-Bounded with me," Harry explained feeling his heart clench at the reminder that yes, one day he would outlive Stiles and probably the pack other than Derek depending on if he passed on his Alpha Spark.

After all, Alpha's themselves don't age until they pass on the spark, it's why most families do it when the Alpha reaches around their 50s, by then any children or heir will be old enough and had been training to be Alpha for a while.

"And with Fawkes Bond?" Stiles asked in a quiet voice.

Harry himself went quiet and stared out of the window at the world outside. Fawkes trilled beside his arm from where he was still resting, a slightly apologetic tone as he nudged Harry's shoulder with his beak and softly rubbed it. Smiling gently at the bird and sending sad reassuring feelings toward his friend, Harry turned back to a concerned Stiles. "I can't die, Stiles. Not for a hundred and hundred of years. Fawkes is old, like a thousand years old, he still has a long time before he passes on," Harry admitted as he rubbed a finger down Fawkes's back.

Stiles was staring at Harry with horror and sadness. "That's...that's horrible," he admitted as he reached out and took Harry's hand.

Letting out a choppy breath, Harry nodded. He had been prepared to die a few months back and finally see his parents. When he read more about the bond with Fawkes he had the horrible realization it would be a long, long time before he ever saw his parents again. That wasn't even counting if reincarnation was a thing and if his parents would choose to be reborn as completely different people.

Stiles didn't say anything, just reached over and set his hand on Harry's shoulder, a ground force for the sorrow that he must have been feeling. "Dinner, boys," Noah commented and when Harry glanced at him, he could tell the Sheriff was hiding under a mask as well.

Letting the conversation drop for the moment, Harry shifted from Stiles' hand and grabbed the plates for everyone. Grabbing a portion and then a strip of bacon that hadn't been torn for the mac and cheese, Harry sat at the dinner table and was barely surprised when Fawkes glided from his perch to rest on Harry's shoulder again.

Reaching up with the bacon, he let Fawkes take it from his hand with his claws and let the bird nibble on it while he ate his own food. "So, what do Phoenix's eat?" Stiles asked curiously as he stared at Fawkes, seemingly remembering that there was another supernatural creature here other than Harry.

"They're mostly vegetarians honestly. Fruits, berries, twigs, is what they generally like. Depends on the type of Phoenix too. Fire Phoenix's like Fawkes also enjoy what we call Fire Branches the most, sort of like chocolate for us. They love the thing but it's hard to find. They do eat meat, obviously, but they usually limit it and only have it every couple of weeks," Harry explained as Fawkes cooed and set half of the eaten bacon on Harry's plate, seemingly content with what he ate for the moment.

"That's...actually pretty cool. How'd you and Fawkes meet anyway?" Stiles asked curiously between shoveling food in his mouth.

Harry swallowed his own food before answering. "He used to belong to my headmaster, Dumbledore. I've mentioned him a few times to Noah," Harry explained wondering if Noah explained Harry's schooling to Stiles at all or anything about him.

Noah tilted his head but his lips thinned, almost like he was displeased by the name. "I'll explain him more later to Stiles," Noah commented between his own food, looking like he really didn't want to talk about Dumbledore for whatever reason.

Harry shrugged even as Fawkes gave a slightly mournful toon. Looking at his friend as he read the bond Harry turned to Noah. "Fawkes wants you to know that Fawkes met Dumbledore when he was younger. He wasn't like how he was later in his life if that means anything to you," Harry told him with a shrug wondering what that was about.

Noah looked slightly more understanding as he tilted his head to Fawkes but let the topic drop. Ever since Harry told Noah about his school years and well generally a cursor of his life before Beacon Hills, Noah always had this sad look like the world had disappointed him big time. When Harry had been done giving a brief overview Noah had just pulled him into a long hug that Harry had sunk into.

Shaking his thoughts from the previous conversation, Harry paid attention to the current conversation as Stiles asked another question, "So, can I read any of your magical books?"

Harry opened his mouth to give his permission with a mental note to hide the ones that were...more active than others (read mostly his Care of Magical Creatures and a few Black Books he'd gotten before closing Sirius' house) when his phone beeped from his pocket.

Blinking in surprise, Harry gave an apologetic look to Noah before grabbing his phone and reading the text.

**SOS. Erica and Boyd missing.**

Feeling his heart stutter, Harry didn't feel as hungry anymore. "I gotta go. Erica and Boyd are missing," Harry said as he quickly stood up, Fawkes flapped his wings to regain his balance from the sudden movement from his shoulder and squawked in annoyance.

Giving his chest an apologetic rub, Harry was about to have him teleport them to Derek's to talk to his Alpha when Noah stood up.

"Woah, before you go let's talk about this. How do you know?" Noah asked with concern.

Feeling slightly annoyed at an adult stopping him before pausing. Noah wasn't stopping him, he was just asking how he knew. He wasn't McGonagall who was just going to ignore his words and say they were making it up. He wasn't Snape who never paid attention to Harry unless it was to taunt him. It wasn't Flitwick who seemed disappointed that he hadn't followed his mother's talent in Charms. He wasn't the previous adults in his life that only saw Harry for the name the world gave him instead of his parents.

So, he took a calming breath and explained, "Alpha's have a bond with their pack members. If Derek's reaching out to me it means that something is wrong with Erica and Boyd's bond. Being forcefully taken from their home, their alpha, an Alpha can feel that. Derek's probably already asked Issac who probably asked their parents and if no one can find them then Derek knows someone has taken them. I need to go to see and probably perform some magic to find them," Harry explained trying to shove the need to do something _now_.

"Then we do this right, okay? If it's a human that's taken them, then you can give me a location and I can go in with you guys and arrest the person. If it's supernatural, I'll follow Derek's lead to a certain extent, okay?" Noah asked calmly, his hands slightly raised in a peace sign.

Part of Harry wanted to rebel like with what Stiles was looking like, the idea of Noah even remotely in harm's way drawing at both their hearts. But Harry knew something that Stiles' didn't, that no matter what you say or do, some people will follow you in the line of war and will be okay with that.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked feeling like he wanted to say anything but that, especially at the glare Stiles was now shooting him.

Refraining from shrinking away from Stiles and hiding from his gaze, Harry just stayed with his shoulders tense and staring at Noah, asking if he was going to step over the boundary that had been laid and join the supernatural world as a human Sheriff.

"Yes," Noah said without hesitation, his gaze unyielding as they stared at one another, his own shoulders tense and looking ready to fight. They both ignored Stiles who looked like he was seconds away from complaining and trying to put his foot down.

Slowly, Harry nodded.

"Okay," he whispered partly to himself trying to reassure that this was Noah's decision, not his, "okay."

"What?" Stiles finally exclaimed looking surprised and angry.

Noah shot him a warning look at Harry finally gave in to the feeling of shifting away from an angry Stiles, realizing this was the first time he'd experience such a thing directed at him. "You can't go! It's dangerous!" Stiles shouted with slight panic, turning his glare from Harry to Noah, his teeth slightly barred similar to a werewolf.

Taking the moment to text Derek an update and that he'll get on a way to track them before telling Derek he was currently at the Stilinski, Harry softly told Fawkes to grab the map from his study. Even Fawkes' fire disappearance didn't draw the Stilinski's glare from one another as they shared their own stare-down.

"This isn't up for debate, Stiles," Noah said with resolution.

"Why? You could get hurt?" Stiles grappled.

"I can get hurt being a Sheriff, Stiles. At least this way I can protect my children. Don't argue, not for this," Noah said softly but uncompromising.

Stiles faltered, looking like he wanted to shout and argue with his father, but he looked like he knew he couldn't change Noah's mind. So he looked away and gave a sad unhappy nod. "I don't want you to get hurt," Stiles whispered out that made Harry flinch with the realization if Noah did get hurt it would be on _him_.

Swallowing the feeling of wanting to tear up at how much Stiles would hate him if Noah did get hurt, he turned to Fawkes who flashed back in with the map Harry recently got of Beacon Hills. Fawkes set the map down and rubbed his cheek against Harry's, the bond singing in his chest with reassurance.

"You won't, kiddo. You won't," Noah comforted as he drew his real son in his arms.

Turning away with his throat burning and a lump forming, Harry grabbed a few paperweights Noah kept around for the few case files he brought home with him and set them on each edge of the map that he splayed out on the counter island. Letting the Stilinski's hug, Harry softly walked toward where he knew the knives were and grabbed one of the sharp cutting ones without them noticing.

Still feeling downhearted with the realization that he might be the reason this kind family might be broken up because of him and his choices like so many before, Harry barely hesitated in sliding the knife across the opposite palm and tune out everything as he closed his eyes and focused on the pack bonds inside.

He let his blood drop onto the map and focus on Erica and Boyd. Erica's laugh as she often somersaulted over a couch and landed in Harry's lap with a laugh as Harry would let out a fake sound as if Erica was heavy. Boyd's small smile whenever he thought Harry was being funny and often sassed with Peter who has taken to hiding in the corners of the loft. The trading scathing insults reminding Harry remarkably of Malfoy and feeling of a semblance of normal with Peter always calmed Harry's racing heart.

Erica often leaning against Boyd during these occurrences and edging both parties on with her sounds of oohs and damn he got you there! Harry remembers Boyd's recent problems for Harry to join him at his job one night when he learned that Harry didn't know how to skate, offering to teach him without anyone watching. Erica even offering to teach him how to Rock Climb because even with her epilepsy she was a great climber.

The thoughts of his two missing packmates fulled his magic and when he opened his eyes, his blood and slowly started moving along the map. Harry pulled his hand away and ignored the pain coming from his cut fist, ignoring that he probably pressed the knife too hard into it.

Fawkes admonishing tune is what drew the two Stilinski's attention back to him sadly as Harry stared at the map waiting for his blood to stop and ignoring the paniced noise Noah made. He only stopped looking at the map when he hissed in pain from where a cloth was pressing into his cut hand. "What the hell, Harry!" Noah shouted angrily as he pressed the cloth into the wound.

"I'm fine," Harry lied and ignored his beating heart, he couldn't stand looking at the two people in his life he was probably going to ruin.

"I'll get the first aid," Stiles said and before Harry could say anything he was already running upstairs toward the bathroom where they keep it stashed.

The front door suddenly burst open and there was Derek, his eyes red as he seemed to lock onto Harry whose hand was bleeding. "What happened?" he growled as he tried to push his wolf down, realizing there wasn't any actual danger as he noted the knife in Harry's other hand he hadn't let go of.

"I'm just using some magic!" Harry defended as Stiles nearly fell down the stairs in his haste with the kit in his hands.

"I'm fine!" Harry shouted as Derek got closer, Derek and Noah seemed to switch places, Noah grabbing the knife from Harry's clenched hand as Derek slowly picked up the cloth to peak at the wound underneath as Stiles sat the kit down on the table beside the map. "Just, watch," Harry said angrily and pushed his magic to his hand finally.

He held off on healing it when the wound happened and just...forgot to let his magic heal it. But once he let his magic heal, it surged through his body toward his wound and the wound was instantly closing. "Why wasn't it doing it, to begin with?" Noah asked with crossed arms, a hard look on his face.

Looking away because he felt like he couldn't fully explain it, Harry turned to the map and pointed to where his blood and stopping moving. "This is where they are if anyone's interested," he said slightly harshly toward the neighborhood his blood had stopped on, specifically only at one house.

Both Derek and Noah looked like they were going to talk about this later but Stiles had already moved on for the moment, not realizing what Harry not instantly healing his wound meant. "We need to help them," Stiles commented practically vibrating from where he was standing in concern.

"We will, I want you to go to the loft and stay with Issac. He's a bit freaking out right now and I think having you there will make him feel better. At least that way he won't be alone with Peter," Derek ordered, knowing that giving him an objective would make Stiles feel like he wasn't being pushed to the side. It helped that he still didn't like Peter and often didn't want to leave anyone alone with the man.

With those thoughts, Stiles was already out the door complaining about Derek's poor choice in leaving the poor baby Beta alone with the Creeperwolf. It left Harry alone with Noah and Derek, something that was already making his skin feel tight, and wish he was at home.

Noah broke the silence first with a sigh. "Come on, we can talk more about this later after we get your Beta's," Noah said looking toward Derek who slowly nodded, his eyes never leaving Harry's. There was still a hint of red, but he seemed to calm down. In fact, Harry would almost say Derek looked like he was fully understanding Harry at this moment.

Ignoring the feel of their eyes on him, Harry just let Fawkes rest on his shoulder and followed Derek to his car choosing his instead of Noah's felt like the better option.

The wait for Noah to change into his uniform felt stiffling and Harry had been paranoid that Derek was going to use the time to talk. When he hadn't by the time the Sheriff did appear in uniform and holster on hip, Harry relaxed in his seat.

The drive was short and Harry had been counting on that. Fawkes had taken to the air, Harry throwing a Notice-Me-Not Charm on him for anyone not pack and let Fawkes lead them to the house as the firebird seemed to know where they were going even with them having GPS ready.

"People care about you, Harry," Derek finally said after a few minutes of driving in silence, Harry's head leaning against the glass window and tensing at Derek's words.

"They shouldn't," Harry finally said feeling exhausted even though he hadn't done much today.

Derek stayed silent, his finger beating against the steering wheel as he absently followed Fawkes through Beacon Hills. "Why? Why do you think that?" Derek asked softly.

Harry refrained from sighing even as the lump in his throat made itself known. "I break families apart. I was the reason my best friend lost a brother. I'm the reason my parents are dead, my godfather is dead. I'm the reason my godson will never know his parents. I've broken so many families, I don't want to break another one," Harry admitted as he clenched his hands that rested in his lap, controlling his magic from lashing out.

Derek stayed silent, slightly uncomfortable but it was more like he was letting Harry get himself under control. He looked like he wanted to talk more when Fawkes stopped in front of a house.

They were here.

Derek gave a frustrated sigh and turned to Harry. "Come to the loft tonight, okay?" he asked as he rubbed his hand against Harry's neck.

The show of scent-marking practically made Harry boneless in his seat, for whatever reason his comment and reasoning didn't seem to anger or disgust Derek for whatever reason when Harry knew it should've.

"Let's just get out packmates," Harry finally said as he leaned away from Derek and opened the door, suddenly feeling the air felt stiffer than it had any right to be.

He could feel Derek's eyes on him but sighed in relief when Derek said nothing even as they met up with Noah at the door. "I've already called the station about an anonymous type being called to me where someone saw someone putting two unconscious teens tied up in the house. I've just told the station I would be checking it out and call for backup if it panned out," Noah explained as he walked to the door, letting Harry and Derek flank behind him.

"I'll make the call seem legit after this is over," Harry informed the Sheriff knowing they would need to cover their tracks if this turned out to be a human thing. "Why isn't Jackson here again?" Harry asked toward Derek wondering why the beta wasn't here.

"Because Issac had actually been freaking out when I was asking the whereabouts of Erica and Boyd and he realized no one had seen them. Jackson was there to calm him down, last I saw them they were cuddling on _my_ bed," Derek grunted though he looked like he wasn't too upset by the way he practically preened.

Harry nodded because, yeah, out of the two other betas Jackson was more collected and would be able to calm Issac down. He supposed Lydia was probably with them and would end up being the only reason that Stiles wouldn't come straight to them after he realized what Derek had manipulated him into doing.

"Shush back there," Noah muttered as he rang the doorbell and looked relaxed in his stance.

The door opened to reveal an old man that Harry could almost tell was sick just by the way his magic was scanning the man. "I'm Sheriff Stilinski, there was a tip that you had some passed out teenagers here," Noah said with a polite fake relaxed smile.

"Oh, my granddaughter's friends seemed to have passed out on the way home from the theater. We decided we didn't want to wake them unnecessarily," the man said and Harry could tell he lied by the way Derek's jaw had clenched and his eyes were a steady red.

"If you would take me to them, perhaps we can figure this out," Noah informed even as he shifted his stance, not looking at either Derek's glare behind him or Harry's own.

The man waved his hand. "No no, everyone here is fine," the man said.

Harry filtered his magic through the house and searched for where the other end of the bond was supposed to be. He scanned the upstairs first and when he found nothing, scanned the first floor and then finally the basement. "I think I heard someone scream from the basement," Harry said beside Noah and could tell instantly that the man didn't like his words.

His hands clenched the cane in his hands, his jaw clenched, and a hate-filled disgusted look was swept to them that showed a threat in them.

"You know what, I think I heard it too. I need you to back up, Mr.Argent, and let me into the house," Noah commanded, setting his hand on his holster when he realized this was about to probably go down fast.

"You don't have my permission," the man, Grandfather Argent that Harry thought his name was Gerald from gossip around school, said stiffly.

"It's called probable cause. Now let me in or I'll arrest you," Noah said, his stare unwavering as they connected with Geralds.

Gerald seemed to stare at the Sheriff as the duo seemed to ignore Derek's subtle growling. Suddenly, Gerald's look turned almost apologetic as if they had just done something stupid. " You were better off not knowing the supernatural, Sheriff, perhaps your life would've been extended," the man commented as he lifted the cane and hit it on the ground.

Harry's heart thudded and his hands were instantly rising in the air, his breath in his throat as automatic gunshots reached his ears.

It was like in seconds there was peace before war had broken out. Harry's eyes widen even as he seemingly watched everything in slow motion. There had been people behind Gerald that Harry hadn't been paying attention to, too focused on finding his packmates and dismissing them.

They acted on Geralds signal and pulled the trigger to their weapons at the door. Derek was moving to try and cover the Sheriff even as the Sheriff was grasping his own gun and trying to raise it fruitily.

He watched it all as a bullet seemingly made its way directly toward the Sheriff.

Racing toward his chest.

It was about to collide.

_Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping._

Bullets dropped on the ground, crushed from impact in front of the Sheriff. The gunfire stopped as everyone watched in almost slight awe at the golden shield in front of the trio. Each bullet that had been fired laying uselessly at their feet from where they collided with the shield and became unusable.

Derek seemed to get over his shock instantly, his shift coming instantly, and clawed toward Gerald.

Gerald leaped back just in time but his neck did get slightly nicked from Derek's claws.

The Sheriff followed Derek's example and brought his gun up and fired his own shots. Harry stifled his whirling thoughts and let his magic fuel his intent.

In seconds, the four people behind Gerald were either passed out or dead, Gerald having gotten knocked out when Harry's magic sent a lamp at the man's head.

It was quick, and no one got hurt. So why were his hands shaking so much. "Derek, go get your beta's," Noah ordered as he rested his hands on Harry's shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. I'm okay, Harry, you did good. I'm proud of you," Noah said as he shifted and pulled Harry into a hug and rubbed his back.

Harry choked back the sob that entered his throat as he felt his emotions drain from him. He was tired and just wanted to sleep.

Derek came back up, supporting Erica as Boyd slowly shuffled on his feet. Looking drained and tired but not as harmed as Erica had been. Her face was blue and purple and both had various cuts that Harry could feel the magical plant called Wolvesbane cling to them. Following Derek as Allison, her father, and her mother who looked like they've seen better days as well. Chris looked the worst out of the trio, his face bruised badly, he was clutching his ribs as a few might be on their way to being fully broken or are broken. Allison had tear tracks dried on her cheeks and her mother looked similar to Erica herself as she stared at the group of golden beta eyes.

"What's the plan?" Derek nearly growled out as Allison leaned into her father softly and hugged his waist.

"They shot just as we were heading toward the house," Harry said, his voice slightly flat and distant with a hint of exhaustion, "we found cover and when we had the chance shot toward a few of them. Boyd had broken free and found a mountain lion they had downstairs. Releasing the thing, it killed a few of them before rushing out the door and toward the woods. It'd explain the claw marks and the gunshots. After the cougar ran off Boyd came and knocked out the remaining with some furniture."

"And you and Derek's presence?" Noah asked taking in the plan and nodding, it was solid, there might be some things they might not explain but he knew his deputies or lawyers would press into it too much.

"I was with you when the call came in. Seeing as how I the idea of maybe going into police work when I was out of school you were letting me follow you, not expecting a gunfight to break out. Derek was here because he's the tipster?" Harry asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Slowly, Noah nodded and agreed with the plan. Which was good because sirens were already on their way, no doubt the neighbors calling in the shots fired for Noah. An ambulance followed and Derek hefted Erica and let Boyd follow him as they made their way outside. While Harry wanted nothing but to go to Derek's or his home and crash, he moved to help Mrs.Argent who looked tired and hurt just as badly as her husband who was being supported by Allison.

"Come on, let's get you two some help," Harry muttered, leaving Noah to handcuff the men that were alive lest they wake up and try and kill them again.

Harry just sighed and prayed this day wouldn't last for too much longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would also like to say, this was a lot longer than originally intended. It just kept writing itself.


	10. A Hunter's Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look Harry's just having the emotional breakdown that was coming from the previous chapter so: warnings for metal health illness

Harry hadn't gone to Derek's loft when he was finally released from the station after giving them his story of events. Instead, he went home and soaked in a heated bath as Fawkes rested on his bent knee and calmly sang his tune, the end of his tail resting in the water and keeping it heated even as Harry knew he's been in the thing for nearly an hour and a half.

He was just about to close his eyes like they've been begging for him to do when his phone chimed from the floor beside the bath. Sighing and lifting his upper body out of the warm water, Harry ignored the cold and let his magic dry his hands as he grabbed the phone.

**Keep alert. Gerald escaped. Jail bars broken.**

It was from Noah and it had Harry's heart pounding. Fawkes gave a curious coo as he flapped his wings and went from the side of the tub (where he shifted when Harry moved) and toward the sink and rested along with the faucet. "It's Gerald, he escaped," Harry told his friend, the rush to protect his pack running through him as he instantly stood from the tub, his magic automatically drying him, and shoved his body through his clothes.

While part of him knew he should send a text to Derek, part of him didn't want to disturb his Alpha while he was trying to figure out what to do with the Argents. They clearly turned some type of new leaf by the scars that Gerald had left behind, but Derek also couldn't forget or forgive their previous transgressions against him and his pack. Both previous and current.

Harry could handle Gerald, he knew he could. So he didn't text Derek even as he grabbed his black hoodie and combat boots. Fawkes trilled by the side of the door and in his beak was two basilisk gloves he had commissioned from Andy's insistence when she heard about him defeating the Basilisk.

The rest of the thing was in his vault courtesy of Fawkes teleporting the large thing. Last Harry even remotely heard about it, the Goblins were still draining the thing of its venom and shearing the skin off of it for whatever Harry wanted from it. Which he had no idea.

Throwing the gloves on, Harry exited the cabin and let his magic guide him. It felt as if every breath he took magic filled him, guided him deeper and deeper into the forest. A soft gentle voice of the wind guiding him, leading him, and soon Harry stood in a clearing and was almost unsurprised by the dead body near the edge of it, the woman's throat slashed open with horror over her face.

His mother looked similar to that when she died.

He barely noted that his emotional breakdown from earlier today hadn't caught up with him yet, he was still feeling blank inside, no happiness, no sadness, only a little bit of anger. But he still felt empty even when he found Gerald a few steps further into the clearing, triumph in his beta sky blue eyes.

"Look who's stumbled upon me, a lone Druid. I don't know how you did what you did earlier? Usually, that's too much magic for a druid like yourself. It was a fool trying to find me by yourself," Gerald taunted, his canines long, his ears slightly pointed, the wild look in his eyes growing.

Distantly realizing the man in front of him was clearly feral with no anchor nor alpha, but Harry didn't feel worried. He just stood there, his face blank, as he stared at Gerald.

Gerald snarled as Harry didn't respond and moving faster than one would think for someone his age, the man's claws were out and swiping toward Harry's neck. With just one thought, the man was flying back.

He scrambled to get up off the ground from where he harshly landed, but a single thought had the man struggling as his arms and legs seemed unmoving and pulled toward the center of the earth. Harry stepped toward Gerald, his feet crunching with every leaf on the ground as he casually crept toward the downed man.

Gerald growled at him and snapped his mouth toward Harry's foot as he lifted it and set it on the man's neck. "Do it. You're not a killer," the man said with a smug look despite being at the mercy of Harry.

"You see, there's a difference between a killer and someone whos being a vigilante. Too bad for you, I've always been a killer. I killed my mother, my father, my godfather, my uncle. I'm a killer," Harry said as he put pressure on his foot, not moving as Gerald choked and struggled, trying to dislodge an empty Harry.

"I've killed someone who was just as bad as you. I won't lose any sleep from you. You had your chance to take jail, and you didn't take it," Harry explained as he watched Gerald slowly stop struggling under his foot, his magic lashing out and helping the suffocation.

The man stopped moving, and Harry could almost tell the exact moment the man was dead.

He took in a sharp breath at the realization, his hands shaking as he stepped away from the body, horror filling him. What had he done? What had he done? No, no, no, no.

Breathing was becoming harder the more Harry realized what just happened, what he had just done. Fawkes landed on his shoulder and brushed his cheek against Harry's even as Harry flinched away from him.

"I'm a murder," Harry gasped, tears coming to the corner of his eyes as he stared at the lifeless body of Gerald Argent, the man he killed.

This was different than Voldemort, Voldemort had been trying to kill him. He hadn't even really killed Voldemort, the magical backlash of him having more magical power than Voldemort fired Voldemort's Killing Curse back at him, ending him. Harry hadn't said the curse, hadn't gone in with the intentions to kill Voldemort.

But this? He _killed_ Gerald, had _wanted_ to kill Gerald.

He might be sick. A sudden pop to his left showed Kreacher there with a bucket and Harry barely wasted a moment to lean into the thing and throw up whatever he ate that day. "Master need not be distressed," Kreacher said softly, his ears pulled back his hand moving to set the bucket down and instead rub them back and forth across Harry's back.

"I killed someone," Harry croaked out with horror, the knowledge of his lifeless corpse just a few feet away.

"Kreacher knows Master was doing it to protect family. Master was protecting the pack, it was not needless. Master Harry not blame himself," Kreacher stressed.

Fawkes cooed from where he was standing next to Harry's body that had crumbled to the ground, his legs too shaky to stand on. The bond with Fawkes was showing understanding, reassurance, happy. Fawkes was happy he killed Gerald? Why?

Seeming to take the initiation, Fawkes opened the bond and let Harry see what he saw when a Phoenix looked at Gerald. His soul was sickly black, corrupted beyond corrupt, worse than Voldemort. When Fawkes dived just a bit further, the thoughts on the top of Geralds mind showed the man trapping the pack, killing them one by one, until Derek was left where the man would take him time and then steal his Alpha Spark. Going across countries, transforming hunters to betas that followed him, killing their own kind without remorse and with the idea once werewolves were fully gone, then killing themselves. Ending werewolves once and for all.

Harry shuddered at the thoughts, but his stomach settled just a bit at the knowledge that Gerald was going to hurt his flock, his pack, his family. Harry didn't kill a remotely innocent man, someone who tortured his own family just because his daughter-in-law hadn't had the courage to kill herself after Allison found them and begged her not to, that they would figure things out.

"Kreacher," Harry said softly, steeling his heart even as he closed his eyes and made sure they didn't meet the still form of the dead body.

"Yes, Master Harry?" Kreacher asked just as softly, his hands still rubbing Harry's back in reassurance.

Swallowing the bile that wanted to rise for what he was about to ask, Harry told the elf, "I need you to make Gerald's death look like he died from his previous cancer. Get rid of any evidence that he transformed. He escaped jail, found his way to a low-traffic alleyway when cancer seemed to finally take him. Okay? No sign of werewolves, if hunters even think he died from our pack then we'd have more problems. Can you do that?" Harry asked with uncertainty.

"Kreacher can do that for Master Harry. What shall Master Harry do for the girl?" Kreacher tenderly questioned.

With a shaky breath remembering that yeah, Gerald had killed an innocent, Harry forced himself up and stumbled toward her to see if she was truly dead or hanging on by some miracle. Finding her pulse-point, he closed his eyes at the feeling of the slightly cool neck that had no beat. Bowing his head and taking a moment of silence, Harry reached up and closed her eyes, shifting her face to look more peaceful than the terror she had.

"Let her family grieve. Place her by the edge of the preserve, probably along a jogging path considering her clothes," Harry said as he looked to see jogging shorts and a short tank top on her. "Can you change the marks to that of a cougar?"

Kreacher nodded and let his small hand rest on Harry's shoulder. "Kreacher can be doing that. Master should head home and rest or go find the pack," Kreacher told Harry gently as Fawkes settled himself carefully on Harry's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.

Harry nodded almost distantly and Fawkes took that as his cue, they disappeared in a flash of fire, Harry feeling like a stone had settled in his chest. Reorienting himself, Harry noted this wasn't his house, Derek's loft, or even the Stilinski Residence. The furniture was warm and welcoming, a fire set along one side of the room.

"Harry?" A female voice asked behind Harry.

Spinning on the spot, Harry felt tears gather at the edge of his eyes as he saw who was standing there. "Andy?" he choked out and stumbled toward her, his hands automatically reaching out.

Andy caught him and drew him in a tight welcoming hug. Harry finally broke and let his emotions pour out of him. Andy shushed him gently, rocking him in her arms. She didn't say anything, just let Harry pour his wrung out emotions onto her shoulder. She rubbed his back and just comforted him like any mother would for their child.

"I killed someone," Harry finally managed to say through his tears.

Andy gently shushed him, keeping the steady rocking motion as her hands rubbed his back. "Is that what this is about or something else?" Andy asked gently, knowing with Harry it could be multiple things, but in truth, she didn't think this type of breakdown was from him killing someone.

Because like it or not Andy knew Harry, knew he would only kill someone if it was to protect his family. She might not know the whole story, but she knew that Harry Potter was a good gentle soul unless you directed threats toward those he cares about.

Harry stayed silent, his thoughts a mess as Andy moved them to the couch in the room, Fawkes settling himself on the actual fire in the fireplace, basking in its heat and letting Andy take care of Harry like he knew she would.

"I think I'm cursed to tear apart families," Harry finally admitted, his shaky sobs dying down the longer he just let his head rest against her shoulder despite it being wet from tears and a bit of snot.

"Harry," Andy said gently as he pushed him away from her shoulder and cupped his cheeks, forcing the boy to look her in the eye, "I want you to remember what I'm about to say, right here and now. Can you do that?" Andy asked slightly sternly but still with kindness.

Nodding because he knew he had no choice, Harry paid attention to her words. "You are not cursed. Nothing in your life has been your fault. Do you hear me? Nothing is your fault. Your parents died to protect you, yes, but that was not your fault. The way you grew up at the Dursley's was not your fault. Quirrel nearly getting the stone, the Basilisk loose on Hogwarts, Peter betraying your parents and hiding with Ron, Cedric's death, Umbridge's treatment of students, and the war are _not your fault._ You hear me? You were a little boy, and the world has failed _you_ , not the other way around. You hear me, Harry Potter, _the world failed you_ , you are not cursed, you don't tear families apart, you are a child that has always just wanted one thing in life, the _love of another_. That is not your fault, nothing is," Andy said as she cupped Harry's cheeks, her own eyes tearing slightly as she watched Harry slowly succumb to tears again.

"I just can't help but think none of this would've happened if I just hadn't been born," Harry admitted, his hands clutching her robe like a life-line as they continued to stare at one another's eyes.

"Oh my sweet grandson, that is wrong, and one day you will believe that. The world has been unkind, but what you don't know, is that it has always been like that. You've just been on the receiving end for a lot longer than other people have. I love you, Harry Potter, you are not cursed, you don't tear families apart, you are a blessing to this Earth that has brightened my day every single time I see you. Even now, with you crying all over me I can't help but think of how lucky I am that you are here, with me, as we both grieve for lost ones and our lost childhood. Remember that, Little One, you are a blessing to those around you," Andy said as she brushed his fringe away, exposing his scarless forehead from where it healed after the war as Voldemort's soul had nothing to latch onto anymore, and gently kissed it.

"I can try, I think," Harry said softly even though he felt it was a bit of a lie. He just felt so wrung out, strained at all edges of his body. He was tired, but maybe in some ways, Andy was correct? Harry didn't believe it, couldn't, but maybe one day he might.

"Now," Andy said as she patted her teary eyes, "are you staying the night or heading back home? What do you think?" Andy asked as she rubbed his back gently, seeming to know from some Maternal Instinct he wasn't quite okay. Maybe one day, but not right now.

Hesitating as he remembered Derek's words, he gave a long sigh. "My Alpha wanted me to swing by his loft later tonight," Harry admitted and Andy couldn't help the flash of happiness at the mention that Harry had others, had a pack (more than likely werewolf) that would be there for him when he let them.

"Then I suppose you shouldn't keep your Alpha waiting," Andy gently said with a soft smile. "Remember you're welcome here anytime. You know Teddy would love it, maybe bring your flock with you one of these days?" Andy asked with a playful grin.

Harry's lips twitched upward just at the thought of what the others might do for the nearly year-old baby. Somehow Harry imagined Peter and Noah absolutely loving Teddy especially if he changed his hair and eye color to theirs like he was prone to do. Derek would look awkward until he actually held Teddy and then would probably melt on the spot. The others Harry didn't quite know other than Erica cooing over Teddy, Boyd standing in the corner like some guard dog, and Issac and Stiles scrambling to do everything but hold the baby for fear they'd hurt Teddy in some way.

Jackson would fall under Teddy's spell and probably react similarly to Derek while Lydia had either two reactions, coo at the baby with Erica, or say that Teddy looked disgusting but inside she fell in love with him.

"One day," Harry muttered, his eyes distant a smile slipping onto his face just imaging the pack with Teddy. Giving a sigh and letting the mental image drop, Harry turned to Andy with a smile. "Thank you, for everything you have and are doing for me," Harry told the older woman.

"While you might not think it, Harry, you are my grandson in everything but blood. You were Remus' firstborn, you are family. I will always be there whenever you need me, okay?" Andy told him sternly.

Harry nodded, tears near his eyes, but he composed himself lest he starts crying again. "Yeah, okay," he choked out and felt relief when Fawkes finally left his nest of fire and landed on Harry's shoulder.

He reached down and nibbled affectionately at Andy's fingers when they reached up for him. "Take care of our boy, Fawkes," Andy said with a teasing look.

Harry snorted as Fawkes chirped in agreement and they were gone in a whirl of fire again.

The loft felt like it was looming above him as Harry slowly entered the building, noting how much time seemed to keep slipping away from him as the dark sky encapsulated the building, making it seem even more haunting than before. Part of him wished to stay at Andy's for the night, but with what recently happened Harry knew he was probably going to be having nightmares tonight and didn't want to wake her or Teddy.

He would've gladly gone home, but the idea of actually being alone unsettled something inside Harry, so here he was, slowly going up Derek's steps heading to his place, one part of him just wanting to crash at his own home alone with no one around, the other half reaching out for his alpha and just wanting his reassurance.

Harry's hand hadn't even grabbed the loft doors when it was abruptly opened and he was pulled into strong arms. Breathing in deeply, Harry could feel his heart skipping a beat and his breathing become slightly uneven once more as he took in his Alpha's scent, the strong unyielding scent that told Harry that Derek was here for him, wasn't going to let Harry slip through his fingers like so many adults before him.

Feeling boneless as he sunk into his Alpha's arms, Derek's chest rumbled a comforting purr that further caused Harry to melt into his arms. Slowly, Derek led Harry into the apartment, Fawkes teleporting from inside the loft to outside and resting on the balcony outside the doors there, keeping watch over them from his perch.

Derek shifted them to the couch where he practically forced Harry to lie down on it before Derek's body was over his, encasing Harry under his. His comforting rumble and heat from his body caused Harry to feel drained and his exhaustion rears its head up. "Derek?" Harry sleepily said, not knowing what he was asking for.

"Sleep," Derek's gruff voice said as his nose rubbed against Harry's neck, scent marking him.

Slumping down and fully relaxing, Harry decided Derek's idea was a great one.

He was asleep in the next moment.


	11. Reconciling Relationships

Harry had seen the looks Peter kept shooting his nephew. One of understanding, anger, sadness, and most of all, longing. He didn't know too much about what happened to destroy a relationship they once had, he had learned from Lydia that Peter had used her to resurrect himself, but part of Harry understood Peter.

How he killed Laura Hale, stolen her Alpha Spark, used it to bite Scott, and then went on a murder spree around town for those that were involved in the Hale Fire that killed Peter and Derek's family.

But Harry understood that, and that terrified him when he first thought about it.

Because in a way, Peter Hale was similar to Harry. Part of Harry remembered his feelings when Hagrid had taken him aside and informed Harry that his parents hadn't died by a car but had been _murdered_. He remembers the anger, the blood-thirsty rage that had filled his heart that he had stifled under a facade.

The want, _desire_ , to find the bastard and kill them for taking away the one chance Harry at some part of his family loving him. He would have killed anyone to do so, and he had been eleven when those thoughts presented.

There was a reason the Sorting Hat had wanted to put him in Slytherin originally, not that anyone but Remus knew. And Peter Hale was the epitome of Slytherin.

So yes, Harry understood Peter Hale to a frightening degree, it's why he would hang around the edges of the loft when the others gathered to watch movies, sitting beside the man and often snarking with him under his breath so they didn't fully disturb the others. The first time it happened Derek had shot his Alpha Eyes at Peter as if it was his fault for Harry going to the man. But after Harry showed his own eyes at the Alpha, the confused reluctant feelings Derek had felt after Harry had done this made him stand down and slowly turn back to the movie.

Peter played it off, so Harry had as well. They just picked up where they left off and sassed one another, often comments that could be considered harmful (but not gut-wrenching harmful, never about the previous Hale Pack and never about Harry's family) were often traded between the two. Going from their looks, how they talked, to mostly their knowledge of the supernatural, and how stupid the other might be from not knowing a certain supernatural creature.

Maybe it shouldn't have surprised Harry that when he had woken up from the hellish nightmares he often had on top of Derek's couch that Peter was in front of him, a hot chocolate extended for Harry, as the man seemed to know it was one of Harry's favorite drinks for nightmares while tea his everyday drink.

Harry took it without hesitation and took a sip, relaxing against the sofa as he straightened from his prone position into a sitting one. Grunting his thanks, words dying on his tongue, Peter just tilted his head and sat next to him. Without thinking about it, Harry scooted and made the limited space between them disappear as he leaned into the werewolf.

They stayed in silence as Harry curled into himself and Peter, his minds whirling around the thoughts of the nightmare he had. It wasn't the normal one of his death that he never remembered, this one was a true nightmare. More of a memory than something his mind created. His mother's screams, pleading voice was still in his ear and Harry felt more tired than when he fell asleep. He almost wished for the Train Station Nightmare, at least then he still felt well-rested afterward.

The problem with having part of Voldemort's soul inside his head was that when Harry thought back to that night, not only did he have his memories of the event, of a looming figure rushing into his bedroom, but he had Voldemort's as well. His point of view as he stalked up to the house, casually, as if nothing could touch him. The smug feeling in his chest as he stared at the house that had been hidden for so long. He threw up his own wards then as he magically overpowered the few wards under the Fidelius Charm. The limited amount of wards were supposed to protect them further because Voldemort's men in the Ministry had been tracking houses with large amounts of magic around them, too much for a new house meant the Fidelius Charm wouldn't matter.

He swaggered up the steps, barely hesitating in entering the room and upon spotting James Potter, barely hesitated in hitting the man without a wand with the Killing Curse. His face had been set in a determined look that didn't help him. Voldemort went up the stairs casually, feeling with his magic where the other two people in the house were. He entered Harry's room and...well Harry knew the rest from his own memories.

Shuddering at remembering the pleasure Voldemort took from killing his parents, Harry leaned into Peter. "How do you handle it? The screams in your ears when you sleep?" Harry asked in a small voice, his eyes distant as he recalled his dream.

Peter's heartbeat was faster for barely a second before steadying, no outward sign that what Harry said affected him as he sipped his own chocolate. "You don't," Peter said calmly, his own eyes distant now. "They're always there."

Harry nodded slowly, feeling the truth in the very statement, and felt unsurprised by the acknowledgment. His parent's death had been haunting him since his third year at Hogwarts when the Dementors made him remember. The only memories he has of them, and it was pleading and their last breaths.

They let the subject drop, keeping the silence from before, and just basked in the other's presence of how the other seemed to understand. Understand the type of trauma they went through.

Maybe it was because of that exact connection that when Scott McCall had gone over one of the days, Derek and he had started talking about the possibility of him training with the pack, that when the teenager started shouting that he would never be in the same pack as a murderer as he had pointed to Peter, the comment made something break inside Harry as he tossed the heavy Latin tomb he had been reading onto the table.

The sound echoed and drew all eyes to him as Harry stood up, some of the other betas shifting away from him from how his scent changed from his natural calm forest smell to an inferno that explained how angry he was.

"You do not get to judge his actions, McCall," Harry said with a forced calm even as he glared at the teenager, "you do not get to judge him for doing something I would have exactly done, especially if I had been as feral as he was at the time."

Apparently, the disdain Scott had for him for taking up the other attention of Stiles' also seemed to show itself as the teen puffed out his chest at the challenge and his eyes changed golden. Showing his wolf near the surface while Harry was holding his own Phoenix side down. "He killed innocent people!" Scott shouted back, his claws extending in his hand before he struggled to control himself and shifted them back.

Harry couldn't help the harsh bark of a laugh that bubbled at Scott's words. " _Innocent_? What is innocent about them, Scott? Tell me, or are you as prejudice against werewolves as they are. That you would trap a family in their own home, the one place people feel safest, and burn the house down with them still inside? Innocent Werewolves and humans? Burning together with no one to help them?" Harry asked, each step resounding with his words until he was nearly five feet away from Scott, glaring daggers at him.

"I'm sure they had a reason!" Scott said and was too self-centered to see how Derek stepped back at the words, looking physically pained and sick while Peter gave a high pitch distressed whine from the stairs and was instantly by Derek's side, hugging the man into his chest like he was trying to protect him from Scott's words.

Scott never saw this, always only thinking about himself. "No. No one deserves that. Your life has been handed to you on a silver platter. You don't know hardship, not really, you don't understand what it's like to have your family murdered in front of you. I heard my mother pleading with her killer, I heard the exact moment that she went from breathing from one moment to the next. I heard her and my fathers killer give a cruel laugh as he turned his wand to me, in order to kill me next," Harry said, his words resonating around the room, the other betas gave their own distressing whines now, flinching at Harry's words as they mentally saw the torture themselves. Suddenly they understood Peter just a bit better just from Harry's cruel descriptive words to Scott.

"And you know what? I had suppressed those memories for a long time, and I wish I never found out the truth. Because when someone had to physically tell me the truth you know what I felt?" Harry questioned, practically stepping into Scott's pale face as he took in Harry's words. "I felt rage. I felt rage like no other, wishing I had the chance to kill the man that killed my parents. To kill the man that laughed without mercy as he killed my parents. Who felt pleasure as their lifeless bodies fell beneath him. How he didn't hesitate in trying to kill me either. I wanted to kill him and all his followers. Peter Hale might be a murderer, but those he killed while becoming weren't innocent. Don't ever think otherwise, because no one deserves what has happened to the Hale Family, and you can't say shit otherwise because _you weren't there_. Understand," Harry growled out, his eyes a burning inferno as his Phoenix broke through.

"He killed his niece," Scott said weakly, looking like he was already regretting coming here to talk to Derek.

"I will have to live with that, for the rest of my life," Peter said gruffly while looking composed, anyone with a super sniffer that knew how to use it (Read, everyone but Scott) could tell how distraught and heartbroken the man truly was. How much the reminder he killed his niece pained him to this day.

Derek whined, his eyes flashing red but he just closed them and finally leaned into his uncle like he had been wishing for weeks to do. Let his forehead rest on the uncle that had always been there for him, sometimes even more than his own mother and father. Peter Hale was a third parent, and Derek had missed his uncle, had mourned a part of him that would never come back.

"You should leave," Harry told Scott with his sharp tongue, holding off on wanting to say more, knowing Scott understood at least a bit. Whether the idiot took in his words or not would be up to the boy. If he didn't, he fully planned to tell Noah who would tell Melissa who would then chew out Scott. Maybe coming from his mother the boy would finally have some type of empathy for the trauma of others.

Scott scrambled out of there quickly and Harry had to let out a choppy breath as he forcefully calmed himself. A lot harder to do once his Phoenix has been riled up, but with the thought that his flock needed him right now, Harry felt his control harden and turned toward Derek and Peter who were still embracing.

Without hesitation, Harry walked toward them and drew both in a hug. Derek gave a rumbled purr that got louder as the others had gotten with the program and joined Derek. "We understand," Boyd said softly, a tone that yeah, he understood the anger to a degree from what happened with his little sister.

Issac made his own tone of agreement, remembering his own anger when they had gotten the letter from the military informing them of Camden's death. Remembers how much his father had changed from his own rage that was taken out of Issac as the man had no one else for the anger.

Harry could safely say that it was then that Derek fully accepted Peter as pack as the bond solidified and they heard Peter's whimper of anguish at the feeling of the bond, part of him rejoicing while the other half mourning the loss of what used to be there. "I think we should move this to the couch," Jackson finally said, his arrogant tone present but much softer, quieter, and understanding than the one he used at school.

They shifted over there, no one really wanting to let go of the other, and practically collapsed on one couch that should not have been able to take all of them. Erica, Boyd, and Jackson moving to sit on the floor so Issac, Derek, Harry, and Peter were the ones cuddling on the three-person couch. Jackson already texting Lydia to join them, knowing she was almost pack made his wolf want to invite her to the session and cuddle her.

Harry wanted to text Stiles, but part of him knew Scott would've called him and ranted about them more than likely. What Stiles does after that, take Scott's side or theirs, would determine their future relationship. Because if Stiles took Scott's words and thought Peter killed innocent people...then he didn't want to know what Stiles would think of him. Because in a way, during the war he had killed innocent people while just trying to survive the Death Eaters.

He remembered killing Barty Crouch Jr. in his fourth year. When he had come back with Cedric's body, his brain had connected sluggishly that Moody had been the reason he was entered. Connected that he was a death eater, and then connected he was the reason that Cedric was dead.

Something had snapped then, and Harry remembered his magic lashing out almost similar to what happened in the first year with Quirrelmort and the amount of damage done to Barty had killed the man in seconds after he succumbed to his wounds that magic couldn't help. Dumbledore and the other teachers had been too late to save him, but they had found the real Moody a few minutes afterward.

Harry couldn't remember much about what happened after that, his magic was exhausted, but he remembered the dark black robes that belong to a crooked-nosed professor that led him by the shoulders to the Medi-wing to be checked over. He remembered falling asleep with the man watching over him from a seat beside his bed.

Slightly tensing as the sound of knocking forced his thoughts away from Hogwart's memories, Harry looked toward Derek and Peter who only looked mildly surprised. "I'll get it," Derek said softly, slowly getting out of the pile and going toward the door.

When he opened it, they were all hit with Stiles' panicked racing mouth. "I'm so-so-so sorry for Scott, not that means anything because he can be a dumbass most days but I think this day hit him the most. What he said was stupid and ignorant and I can't believe how sorry I am for how much of an unempathetic horny teenage boy he is. Like I know he thinks with his dick most days but to that extent, I'm so so sorry. I promise Mama McCall hadn't taught him that, he's just that much of a dumbass. When he called to rant I hung up on him after calling him an idiot and then I came over here to say how sorry I am and that I hope you're okay. What am I saying, of course, you're not okay after what Scott said but I hope you will be okay?" Stiles rambled and would've continued had Derek not pulled the spastic teenager in his arms and buried his head into Stiles' shoulder, breathing in deeply even as a deep whine left his throat.

"Woah, okay, right, hugging. Hugging, I can do hugging," Stiles murmured as his arms flailed for a second before they wrapped around Derek fiercely.

Derek's whine cut off and a deep rumble came instead as the man breathed in Stiles' scent and slowly calmed down. Not even hesitating to ask for permission, Derek pulled Stiles into the loft, closed the door, and practically manhandled the boy to the couch. While Derek was moving to the couch with a determined expression as Stiles flailed from being carried over Derek's shoulder, shouting he can walk himself, the ones on the couch shifted.

Harry moved from the open space of the couch where Derek had sat and moved to Peter's side instead of as Issac slide from his spot that had been previously by Harry and slid to the floor, sitting on Erica and Boyd's lap as they nuzzled his shoulder soothingly while Jackson nuzzled Harry's legs. Reaching down to run his hands through Jackson's hair, Harry and the rest were unsurprised when Derek had forcefully made Stiles sit on the couch and even less surprised when he pulled the boy into his chest with a soothing rumble.

"Okay, so cuddle pile, got it," Stiles muttered as he took in all their positions. Peter moving from leaning into Derek to leaning into Harry, knowing Derek was soaking in Stiles' affections and would probably focus more on the boy right now.

Harry settled on his side of the couch, a warm feeling in his chest as he looked toward Stiles. While uncertain if he wanted to keep his distance from Stiles and Noah, to not cause their family to break, it was still a nice feeling to know that Stiles' was on their side.

By the way that Derek and Stiles were now hugging one another, Harry thought that Stiles wasn't going to be leaving their side anytime soon.

Harry hoped he was right in that assumption.


	12. The Sickness in the Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I want to make sure everyone is aware of ages. Chapters 1-3 Stiles/Scott are 15 and Harry is 16. By the time Chapter 4 comes around they've all aged to their correct ages for the first season of Teen Wolf, meaning Stiles/Scott is 16 and Harry/Allison are 17 for Sophmore Year. Just wanted to bring that up because I will say Harry is 18 in this chapter and I didn't want any of you confused on why as Season 3 is set in Junior Year of High school.

Harry slammed his hand against the table as his magic failed to locate Erica, Boyd, and Jackson. The three had disappeared just after the school year had finished after Derek pulled aside the pack and told them about the symbol he found on the Old Hale House that belonged to the Alpha Pack.

Reaching through Andy for her to dig into, she hadn't had much luck and Harry didn't know if anyone in his magical world would know about them, werewolves weren't exactly treated kindly afterall and often kept secrets within their own communities. "Hey, we'll find them," Derek gruffly said as he rubs his hand against the pack of Harry's.

Harry could feel the hand on the back of his neck take his pain away which Harry almost wished he hadn't but knew better than to say that. Derek and Noah still hadn't talked to him about what happened the first time Erica and Boyd had been taken by Gerald, perhaps it was because of the collective community's worry for the three missing teens.

"It's just...I don't get how they can hide them. It shouldn't be possible," Harry said while beating himself up mentally. There was very little that could hide from his growing magic, even now it continued to grow like a forest fire that refused to be fully extinguished. Sure, Harry can control it, direct it toward where it should burn, but he never had full control over the fire that was bound inside his soul.

"We'll find them," Derek rumbled soothingly as he moved closer and rubbed his cheek against the top of Harry's head.

Melting under Derek's touch, Harry let some of the tension unwind in him. Getting worked up like he's been feeling for the past few months wasn't doing anyone good and certainly not Fawkes who looked like he might have a Burning Day anytime now.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked with concern as he moved away from Harry and moved his hand toward Harry's forehead.

Harry blinked and shifted from the touch. "Yeah. I'm fine," Harry said without thought.

"Harry," Derek growled out, a soft thing that admonished Harry more than threatened him.

Wincing at the reminder that yeah, werewolves can hear lies, Harry backtracked to his statement. "I'm just a bit cold. It's nothing to worry about," Harry said as he refrained from shivering underneath his sweatshirt that had two heating charms on it but he felt like he couldn't feel them.

Derek frowned but didn't say anything, he just looked uncertain even though he could tell Harry hadn't lied in his statement. "School's starting in the next few days, do you think you'll feel up to it?" he asked instead, changing the subject.

Harry shrugged. His grades from the past term had been great, the greatest he's ever gotten in Muggle Schooling certainly, mostly because he's never seen an A on his report card before and having all classes with them? It still felt like a fever dream, which Harry would know since he's been experiencing them the past few nights.

"I think so. I've been catching up more between trying new ways to find Erica and Boyd. Fawkes has been resting a lot more lately, since the Alpha's arrival it seems," Harry commented as he looked toward Fawkes resting on the perch Derek randomly bought one day, multiple feathers laid on the floor around the perch, and Fawkes was looking more and more bald and weak.

He gave a small trill as he shook out some more loose feathers. "Is he okay?" Derek asked uncertainly as well.

"Probably. He'd tell me if he wasn't," Harry told Derek and could hear Fawkes soothing trill, letting them know himself that he was okay and everything was going as planned.

Derek nodded and pulled Harry away from the map of Beacon Hills that he's been constantly using magic on and directed him toward the kitchen where Derek made him some Ham sandwiches.

The next few days Harry's sickness seemed to get worse. His face was getting paler and paler, his throat has gotten scratchy, his eyes had dark shadows underneath them from his uneasy sleep. Peter or Derek were constantly by his side draining pain from him as he laid on the couch where he slept one day and just never moved.

"We should take you to a hospital," Derek said as he placed the cold washed cloth on Harry's forehead even as the boy flinched from it and looked like he might fight it.

Harry shook his head before he looked like he regretted it. "Not muggle. Magical," Harry croaked as he closed his eyes and fought nausea that seemed to threaten him.

Derek pursed his lips and felt helpless as he watched Harry look sicker. Somehow through this time, Harry hadn't actually thrown up yet, whether it was because of the constant pain drains or Harry fighting the feeling itself, the boy hadn't thrown up. "No hospital, but I might call Melissa McCall and have her check over her. Stiles recently informed me that Scott had been forced to tell his mother about the supernatural since the Kanima. No one just wanted to inform me of that fact," Derek said with pursed lips that threatened to turn into a scowl.

Harry hummed as his thoughts muddled together, not even hearing Derek with how terrible he felt. 

Harry continued to be sick throughout the first day of school where the kids were let to go home earlier after an incident where Crows had barged through the glass windows and killed themselves. Noah had driven Stiles to Derek's loft with the intention of leaving his son there to be looked after while also checking on Harry's condition.

Just as most of the pack returned, Derek having left a bit to retrieve Issac from the hospital from where he had gone to after being attacked by two twin Alphas from the Alpha Pack, there was a change in Harry's condition.

Most specifically, he started seizing right there on the couch, Peter alerting them by calling Derek's name and frantically moving from where he was sitting on the opposite side of Harry's couch. Derek quickly laid Issac down gently on the kitchen table by the kitchen that was slowly coming together and ran toward Peter who was setting Harry on his side.

"Derek, Fawkes," Stiles said, clutching Derek's jacket and looking toward the perch where it looked as if Fawkes was also seizing.

"The hell," Derek muttered to himself and debated on joining his uncle in holding Harry down so he didn't hurt himself or checking on Fawkes.

It seemed the decision was taken out of his hands when Fawkes suddenly fire-flashed from his perch and landed on Harry's arm. Peter flinched back and let Harry fall back onto his back onto the couch. Before he could correct his position, Fawkes was on Harry's chest with his wings spread out and his claws digging into Harry's chest to cause a sluggish dark red blood pool around his claws.

He stopped seizing himself even as Harry continued and screeched so loud that even the humans had to clutch their own ears from the tune. His fire brightened so much that Derek was worried things would catch on fire. It got brighter and hotter as Fawkes stayed in that pose before something seemed to change. The fire instead of going outward suddenly went inward and in a flash, Fawkes was gone.

With Fawkes' disappearance, Harry's body jerked, his seizure stopped as Harry turned to the side of the couch and threw up on the floor that laid before him. A mess of black goo that had yellowish-green leaves and white berries laid out on the floor. Seemingly done with throwing up, Harry's body flopped back onto the couch and his eyes closed, his heart beating slowly. He fell asleep.

"What the hell just happened?" Noah asked as he rushed to his son and laid his hand on his forehead, already the burning sensation that had been normal for Harry was cooling. Harry's body finally seemingly relax.

Noah jerked his hand away when golden tendrils seemed to alight under Harry's skin, going from his chest and radiating to his head, arms, and legs until it looked like his body was softly glowing a golden yellow.

"Derek," Peter's tone was grave as he stared at what Harry had thrown up, recognizing the plant in the mess easily.

"Mistletoe," Derek replied looking just as gravely, knowing this didn't bode well for what was coming to Beacon Hills.

Stiles flaired, looking concerned and angry. "Look, I don't know what Mistletoe has to do with anything, but are we going to discuss the fact that Fawkes is like gone or Harry's glowing. Like actually glowing?" Stiles asked and Noah couldn't help but tilt his head toward his son in agreement looking toward the two that seemed to know about the supernatural.

Peter nodded toward Derek, telling him without words he'd handle this while Derek would help Issac and his inner wounds from the Alphas. Derek gave a small jerked nod back and slowly stood up, leaving reluctantly his injured and sick beta to care for the other. "He's glowing because his magic is trying to fix him. We don't know where Fawkes is, Harry will have to let us know when he wakes up, but the Mistletoe he just threw up is the reason his magic hasn't been healing him. Someone that recently came into town has poisoned Harry, nearly killing him had his Phoenix not chose to burn himself on top of Harry, forcing his body to cleanse itself," Peter said as he brushed Harry's sweaty forehead aside and relaid the cool cloth they've had nearby back onto him.

Instead of fighting the cloth-like before, Harry gave a sigh and relaxed more into it, seeming to accept it. "He's probably been having the high fever because his bond with Fawkes had been trying to fight whatever magic had infected him," Peter told the two humans and left out the part where Harry probably would've died had Fawkes not Burned on him. Perhaps that was also why Fawkes had been looking so unwell so soon as well, Harry admitted that usually there are quite a few years between Burning Days and was surprised Fawkes was going through one so soon. The last one he had was when Harry was 11, usually, there's a ten to twenty-year gap between Burning Days.

"Too loud," A groaning voice commented.

The group looked toward Harry whose glowing was slowly retreating back toward his chest and extinguished just as Harry slowly opened his eyes. They were burning their normal fiery red, orange, and yellow inferno even as Harry didn't seem to realize it. "Relax, Pup, you're still weak," Peter shushed him gently as he slowly pushed Harry's shoulders back down as he tried to sit up.

"Take it easy, son," Noah said as Harry reluctantly followed Peter's push, Noah started running his fingers through Harry's hair to calm the young man who looked more coherent than even hours before.

"What happened?" Harry whimpered out, feeling like he found an eighteen-wheeler, and decided to get run over by it for fun.

Noah shot a look to Stiles who looked like he was going to ignore it before reluctantly leaving Harry with the two adults and wandered over to Derek to help him with Issac. "You've been sick. What's the last thing you remember?" Noah asked gently, keeping up the motions of his hand through Harry's hair so the boy didn't tense back up.

Harry hummed a thoughtful tone, his eyes falling asleep as tiredness pulled at him. His core felt drained and Harry felt for the bond with Fawkes to reassure himself but it felt weak, vulnerable, and slightly hidden. Tugging at it, there was a flash behind his eyelids and he forced them open to see a tiny chick of a Phoenix on his chest, shivering against the cold as it's bare skin was hit with air.

Without thinking, Harry forced his hands up and cupped the baby chick that he knew was a baby Fawkes. His magic flickered for a second in his chest before a different part of his core surged forward and his hands were suddenly on fire with Fawkes on them.

Peter and Noah flinched back but didn't move that far, trusting Harry as he lit Fawkes on fire. The chick inside the palms seemed fine though, in fact, the small bird gave a small sigh and seemed to bunker down in Harry's burning hands. With his mind still drifting, Harry recalled what his last coherent thought was.

"I...remember trying to find Erica and Boyd constantly. But...I kept dreaming of a white face with claw marks across it. They...she looked like Voldemort, she kept blowing this powder in my face," Harry said with a small shiver as his mind drew the connection between what Voldemort looked like and the new image that had been burned in his mind.

"Voldemort?" Peter mouthed toward Noah, not having heard the actual name before.

"I'll explain later," Noah mouthed back, knowing the general story Harry told him in confidence, though he had a feeling Derek would probably know a bit more considering the close relationship that he had with Harry. The two of them seem to understand one another more than Noah and Harry. He knew it was because of their traumas and not a relationship, especially considering how obvious it was that Stiles was hardcore crushing on Derek, not that he really noticed it. The boy could be really oblivious when he didn't set his mind to it.

Harry's loud coughing fit drew them back to the boy as a harsh deep lung cough came from him. "Why does the air feel wrong?" Harry breathlessly asked, his lungs feeling like they were burning.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked in concern, looking toward Peter who also seemed confused, and shook his head toward the Sheriff. To Peter, there was nothing wrong with the air.

Seeing their looks without them knowing, Harry just shook his head. "Nothing. Probably just my cold," he muttered tiredly as he sank into the couch, Fawkes made himself at home in Harry's lit hands. The fire had died, but his hands were warm as it was and was cupping the bird gently so his whole body could be warmed and not just the part touching his hands.

"Just...get better son. Alright? Now that your looking a bit better you'll be up and around in no time helping us again," Noah said softly as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Harry's forehead, noting it was definitely cooler to the touch than hours before.

"Hmm. 'Kay," Harry muttered with a sleepy smile, sinking into a dreamless sleep.

Peter and Noah exchanged looks, there was definitely more to this cold Harry had then they first thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you get two notifications for a chapter updates, Chapter 13 was accidentally a repost of Chapter 12. Archive was just giving me a heart attack by making me think Chapter 12 didn't exist and I, therefore, had to redo the ending for Chapter 12 since I finished nearly most of it yesterday.


	13. The Bank Memory

Harry got over the cold surprisingly quickly afterward, the only time he felt as sick was when he neared Stiles and Lydia's English class. Perhaps it was a good thing he had a different teacher because anytime he got near the room to walk with Stiles and Lydia Harry's magic itched under his skin and he felt like his energy was just getting drained. The only other thing he had from his cold was a cough that just wasn't going away even as Harry had a few potions. Kreacher was concerned, he kept poofing off to Andy to talk to her about it but without Harry actually talking to Andy there wasn't much she could do as it meant she couldn't do any actual tests.

Anytime Andy asked him to pop over for her to run tests for Harry shrugged her off, not seeing the need for it. It was just a cough afterward, her concern wasn't needed, especially over him. Derek wasn't helping matters, between worrying for his betas, both missing and current, the man seemed like he was trying hard to not wallow back into himself like he wanted to do.

Maybe it was because of the way Derek kept reaching out and pulling back that had Harry extremely happy for Friday to roll around. Noah had said he'd be pretty much working all day so they planned on dinner at a nearby restaurant so Noah could get something to eat and then go back to work, still nearby if a call he was needed for went out. There was also the bonus that Noah had recently gotten a few new officers and Harry was ever so curious to meet the people that decided to move to Beacon Hills and apart of their police department even after hearing the tragedy that they must've known that happened.

After all, four dead officers and the Sheriff being handcuffed by a teenager wasn't exactly good news to hear for people that are supposed to protect the town. But then the arrest of Gerald and such happened and people made a connection that perhaps they were connected. Of course, Noah and the ones in the known didn't change that thought, it was better for the understanding that the teenager was working with some type of gang and not actually alone than the opposite. It made more sense than a teenager somehow doing all that he did at the station in any case.

"Hey, Tess, is Noah ready?" Harry asked as he leaned against the receptionist desk and could see the small smirk Tess had.

"He's on the phone, but you can wait outside his office," Tess said with a smile, jerking her head toward the back room where the officers and deputy's desks were for their own work.

Harry gave a playful salute to her and walked into the backroom, his hands shoved in his pocket and a small on his face as he tilted his head toward the faces he still recognized. There was one new one though near a desk by the Sheriff's office, Harry realized the desk once belonged to Sean, one of the deputies that died by the Kanima under Matt's control.

"Isn't this area off-limits to non-officers?" the deputy at the desk asked as he noticed Harry hanging around looking awkward.

Harry raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "How do you know I'm not an officer?" Harry teased with a sparkle in his eyes.

The man, though he still had some boyish looks, Harry thought maybe he was early to mid-twenties at best, rose his own eyebrow, seeming to take up the challenge as he leaned against his desk. "You mean, other than the fact you look like you want the ground to swallow you whole or the fact that I know I haven't seen you here for at least a week?" the new deputy asked.

"Yes to the first part, two, how do you know I don't just work weekends? Last I knew the hires were being hired on Monday and Tuesday?"

"One, you wouldn't be hanging over here if you did work weekends. That would imply you are part-time and their desks are more over there," The deputy jerked his head toward the opposite side of the room where Jessie and Connor were, filing some of the work for some of the officers. "And last I knew, there wasn't a program with high school students," The deputy said, indicating the backpack that was thrown over Harry's shoulder which he forgot about.

Somehow it didn't feel like school was let out like 15 minutes ago. Stiles had dropped him off here after reminding Harry that he couldn't make their early-dinner plans as he had plans to go to an old friend's birthday party.

Shrugging as he had gotten caught, Harry was about to respond when the Sheriff's door opened. "Harry, I see you've already met the newest Deputy Parrish," Noah said with a smile as he exited his office and softly clapped Harry on the shoulder, watching him for his reaction and if the touch was welcomed.

Moving into the touch, Harry leaned away and threw a smile toward the apparent Deputy Parrish. "We haven't gotten the names yet. He was wondering why I was back here," Harry said with a wink toward Parrish, inside feeling giddy for whatever reason, it was like his inner Phoenix was suddenly awake and paying attention when Parrish had started talking to him.

"Deputy Jordan Parrish," Parrish said with a smirk, seemingly amused as well.

"Harry Potter," Harry introduced as he shook the entended hand Jordan gave him.

"Come on, kiddo, let's go get some food," Noah said as he gently pressed his hand against Harry's back, a subtly way to get the teenager moving.

Harry waved goodbye as he dramatically acted like Noah was pushing him more than he actually was. Jordan laughed at Harry's theatrics while Noah shook his head. Righting himself as they left the station, Harry entered the car that read Sheriff on the side, knowing Noah was still on call even for their dinner.

"You seemed to like Deputy Parrish?" Noah asked innocently from his side of the car as he reversed out of the parking spot at the station.

"He seemed cool. Young too, how old is he?" Harry asked as he buckled his seatbelt even as they started pulling out of the station and toward the open road.

Noah hummed, a small smile on his face. "Well, he's 23. Usually, I wouldn't make them deputies that young, but he was in the Army as an EOD expert, he came highly recommended. He still working on some training, but I think he'd make a great addition to the station, I'm happy to have him on board in any case," Noah said.

Harry nodded, his thoughts already drifting from their current conversation. "He seems like a good addition to Beacon Hills," Harry commented as he peered out of the window, missing Noah's amused raised eyebrow.

* * *

"Harry, do you know how to view memories?" Derek asked without missing a beat as Harry answered his phone as he was leaving the station, he and Noah having finished their dinner for the day.

"Yeah? Why?" Harry asked curious about why Derek was asking.

"Issac found them. But he can't remember where," Derek told him without hesitation and a hint of urgency.

Feeling like his breath was taken from him for a second, Harry faltered in one step before making his way toward a local alleyway. "I'm on my way. I have to grab something from home but I'll be at your place in maybe 10," Harry told Derek before hanging up. Without pause, Harry drew on his magic and apparated home.

He paused at the door, a moment of consideration when the last time he was truly home was? Sure he stopped by to sleep every day, but has he hung out at the place for more than an hour in weeks? Since he's joined Derek's pack he felt more at home at Derek's loft than he had as his home or somewhat at the Stilinski's. Don't get him wrong, he still felt at peace and safe here, but there was something about being with his flock that really made Harry at ease than being alone in the woods with only the Fae as company.

Mentally shrugging as he knew he was always going to have the place if only so the Fae didn't have to deal with anyone else trying to live in the house, Harry walked into his house and toward his study where the thing he needed was. To an outside person entering and seeing the object, it just looked cultic in nature as the rounded metal bowl had runes and etching around the side. 

Grabbing the Pensieve from where he stored it, taking off the small rune that let him be the only one to move the object from that place, Harry made sure he had it on him when he apparated once more, this time to Derek's loft.

The werewolves jumped when he arrived, but they were slowly getting used to Harry's noisy appearance. "You ready?" Derek asked as Harry walked over and set the object down, Peter was hanging toward the edges of the loft, Lydia, Stiles, Issac, and a hesitant Scott were surrounding the table that Derek had been pacing in front of.

"Issac, I need you to sit, relax, and think of the memory the best you can. Don't try too hard, your subconscious will remember most of it, I just need you to only focus on the idea of it, okay?" Harry asked as he moved the bowl next to Issac as the boy sat in a chair that Stiles had brought over.

Issac nodded and his eyebrows furrowed as he thought of the memory, trusting Harry's words without uncertainty. Nodding to himself, realizing that Issac was ready, Harry steadied his breath and flicked his wand out of its hidden holster. He saw some surprise from the pack as they realized this was perhaps the first time they've ever actually seen the thing. Sure they knew it existed and that Harry must have had one, but Harry has taken to wandless magic like breathing, it became an easy extension to him. The thing with Pensieve's though was that Harry didn't have much experience in pulling memories, and he only knew how to do it with a wand.

So, feeling more confident with his wand then trying with a finger, Harry let his wand drift just to the side of Issac's head and toward his ear. Pulling on his magic softly, Harry concentrated and let his magic do its thing. Slowly, a silver whispy line started to draw from Issac's ear and collect itself at the end of Harry's wand.

Peter moved forward from where he was watching, looking engrossed at the unfamiliar magic, Stiles looked grossed out, Scott just looked constipated, while Lydia had a similar expression to Peter, the difference being that she looked like she wanted to ask what was happened and how it works. Derek himself looked slightly worried but just impatient to find their three missing betas.

Slowly the silver whisp from Issac's ear came fully out and gathered at the end of Harry's wand. Issac pulled away, looking slightly disorientated and off-balance but overall fine as he turned and watched in fascination at what had just happened. Ignoring everyone around him, Harry turned and let his wand rest over the empty Pensieve. Steadily, he turned his wand until the end was hovering over the bowl. Almost as if the silver air gathered at the end of his wand turned into a liquid, it started to drip just slightly off the tip, silver droplets gathered into the bowl.

Letting the end dip into the small pool that gathered from just three drops, Harry let his magic slowly go and watched as the runes lightly glowed around the Pensieve, the object catching the memory as his magic let go of it fully. Where a small pool rested, the bowl was now filled with cloudy silver fluid that was slowly swirling around itself, the image at the surface but not sticking as no one was close enough to dive into it.

"Now we just need to touch the water and we'll be in the memory," Harry told the group as he flicked his wrist and his wand shot back into its holster. "Just follow my lead."

Harry leaned over the bowl and let the object suck him into it. His magic made the memory pause as he waited for the others to join, and slowly they had.

"This is wicked!" Stiles commented with giddiness as Derek eyed their current surroundings.

They were in an alleyway, Memory-Issac had his nose slightly in the air, furrowed eyebrow, as he sniffed around. "This is weird," Issac commented, his ghostly form walking toward the Memory-Issac and just examining him.

"I have to say, impressive magic," Peter murmured, eyeing around with some type of interest. Harry thought the man might be having Slytherin thoughts.

"Can we please focus, I would like to find my boyfriend," Lydia said with a huff and flip her hair.

"Everyone ready?" Harry asked the group just in case.

He got nods, some stiffer than others, Scott looking like he was one step away from either panicking or saying something stupid. Harry let his magic go of the memory before the idiot said anything and let the scene move. Memory-Issac sniffed around before his shoulders tensed and went out of the alley quickly and toward the doors of some large building.

"This is a bank," Scott commented.

"No shit, Sherlock," Stiles muttered with a grin. Memory-Issac had gone in, and as such the others had been pulled in.

"What the hell?" Issac asked from the sensation of being pulled into the bank without any of them walking into it.

Harry, use to the feeling to a degree, explained to them, "We're only seeing what you're subconscious does. I wouldn't be surprised if we started hearing what you might've heard, I can already hear the kitten like ten blocks from this place," Harry told them.

Derek gave a jerk of a nod to understand and they followed Memory-Issac as he quickly went into the bank, almost with a type of desperation with his nose still slightly pointed upward, this time though the others could hear soft talking, not quite discernable but there was no doubt it was Jackson and Erica softly talking to another unfamiliar female.

Memory-Issac just wounded the corner when Peter and Derek stiffened as a familiar but not scent reached their noses. Memory-Issac didn't seem to notice as he went further down the hall where the vault of the bank had to be, reaching the doors he noted the bars stopping him from entering.

"Issac?" A soft voice asked, it sounded painful and male, everyone's eyes drifted to Boyd who looked more beat up than the others in the vault who instantly looked up as well.

Harry stiffened as he noted that Jackson's eyes were the beta blue they normally were, but a lizard-like yellow, showing his Kanima which they thought was gone was near the surface. Jackson's eyes widen a mixture of fury and worry on his face as he hissed out toward Memory-Issac, sounding almost snake-like in it. "Run," he said.

Some of the people watching the memory jumped back as they had been standing behind Memory-Issac, looking at the pack with purposeful eyes, they hadn't noticed the creeping figure behind them who had been hiding their heartbeat until it was too late. Memory-Issac gave a roar as fingered claws lashed his left leg. But his training kicked in and he turned around and claws the person across the face before using his leg, no matter how much pain the other was in, and shot it toward the knee-cap. There was a sharp crack as the knee gave out, having been pushed wrong, and the female Alpha roared in pain.

Memory-Issac used the time to scramble out of there, realizing they were about to be forced to follow Issac through the chase that was about to happen, Harry held up his hand and stopped the memory.

"Why'd you do that?" Scott asked, having been watching Memory-Issac and the female Alpha with curious eyes.

Harry ignored the boy and brought the scene back just a few seconds, to where Issac had been at the bars shaking them lightly. Stopping it there, Harry kept it paused as he walked through the bars of the bank and entered the vault. Of course, looking behind toward Issac there was a bunch of blackness because Issac wouldn't have seen what was there and his subconscious certainly couldn't have, Harry turned back to where the betas were. "There's something about this material," Peter muttered, having followed Harry and was looking at the design of the wall.

While Real Issac might not have realized it, but his wolf had taken in all it could, but it had been filtered by his subconscious. Because the memory included what the subconscious could remember, Peter could smell that there was something about the very walls that was itching his wolf to get away from it. Like it subconsciously knew there was something wrong with it.

"Look, we know where they are. We should go get them," Derek said, his voice gruff and telling the others that he wouldn't take any other consideration.

"Uh, yeah Big Guy, not gonna happen. Look, we have two days. I know you're antsy, I get it, but let's do this right. We don't need anyone else in the pack getting hurt, alright?" Stiles asked as he put his hands on Derek's shoulders like it was going to stop him in his tracks.

Derek glared and looked down at Stiles' hands, the boy quickly took them off him remembering what happened last time he touched Derek without permission. "Right, hands off. Got it, but sersiously. Let's not go all Kamikaze here, alright, let's do this right."

"He's right," Harry said from where he was crouching in front of Jackson, looking into the man's eyes, Lydia was next to him, looking at Jackson with a side expression as she noted how ruffed up he seemed to be. His jacket was gone, shredded, and thrown in the corner of the fault. "Jackson shouldn't be the Kanima right now. For one, he has a strong anchor, two, I would've felt him shift into full Kanima without his permission. Whatever is happening, the Kanima inside him is surfacing because there's something wrong with this bank. We have to think. Why this bank? Why do they look as feral as they seem? Who's the female with them? What is their plan? I can't be the only one who notices the black dust lacing the edges, which means that they also must have a human in their grasp. We have to be careful and go in without them knowing. This means a plan and thinking things through. I know you want to get them, Derek," Harry said softly, standing and moving to look Derek in the eyes, "I want to get them too. But let's not get anyone killed while doing it, I know I'd feel guilty, and I'm sure you would too."

It was a bit of a low-blow, but Derek needed to hear it. We can't go claws brazing expecting everything to be okay. It was the reason Sirius died, it was the reason Harry died the first time in the war, and it was the reason Noah nearly died from Gerald's men. Harry didn't want to take that chance again, he needed to plan and wanted to make sure everything went okay.

Peter finally moved from the walls he could see and looked toward the betas, his eyes examining them before his eyes widened just minutely. "Hecatolite," he said with an understanding sound, though his expression grave.

"What?" Scott asked while Stiles made an understanding noise though he looked like he recognized the name but not what about it.

"Hecatolite. It's a mineral that scatters the moonlight. It's keeping the moonlight out, they wouldn't have felt the full moon in months," Peter told the others, looking at the trapped wolves with an empathetic expression.

He remembered the one wolf he and Talia had found that had been kept hidden from the full moon once before, Talia hadn't known what to do and they both had to put the wolf down. That wolf had only been hidden for one month, he couldn't imagine what it would do to someone for three.

"That's why Jackson is borderline Kanima, it's keeping him sane. Maybe with the Pack Bond, it's keeping the others slightly sane too," Harry commented, remembering how lucid Boyd had slightly been when he called out Issac's name.

"It doesn't matter how lucid, come full moon they will try and kill anything and everyone in sight. Including us," Peter said gravely, "Talia had met a wolf once. She couldn't help him," Peter told Derek, their eyes connecting gravely.

Derek tilted his head toward his uncle in understanding, but his face set. "We aren't killing them. I know we can help them, somehow," Derek muttered the last part, wondering himself if they could be helped. But the Alpha in him didn't want to remotely think about killing his betas, no matter what. He's lost enough of the Pack Bonds, he didn't want to lose some of his own first betas. That type of break just might shatter him completely beyond repair. Because while he hadn't to admit it, this pack, this group of friends, was slowly repairing what he thought was once broken.

Derek looked at Harry, who looked just as determined to help them, then toward Stiles. Perhaps there were two people that were repairing it more than the others, showing a level of understanding he never expecting once in his life.

"We'll do all we can, but we have to think about this first. Okay?" Harry asked Derek softly, his head tilted sideways showing that he wasn't trying to take command, it was still Derek's, but he was telling Derek his opinion on the matter.

Derek's chest rumbled happily that his beta was showing his respect but making sure his wolf knew he was still in charge. Slowly, Derek nodded. It made sense, much to his displeasure, but he didn't want any of his betas dying. If it meant a plan then so be it. He had a magic user and a pack of werewolves and Stiles, they could do this.

Harry gave a small smile and nodded in his own understanding. "Come on, let's get out of here. Just think it and you'll get out of here," Harry told the others, staying where he was as he slowly watched the others disappear from the memory.

Once it was just him and Derek, Harry nodded toward Derek and saw the Alpha tilt his head toward Harry before he was gone too. With no one stuck in the memory, Harry paused in leaving and looked toward Memory-Issac. Taking a breath, he let the scene play out to where Issac was rushing out the door toward the street where someone saved him. Just before his body fully left the building, there was a voice that sounded in the background that Harry thought he was the only one to hear the first time around before he paused the memory.

"When the magic-user comes too, you will kill him."

Harry let the words wash over him as he left the memory.

They might want to kill him, but he will be ready.

No one from his family was dying on his watch.


End file.
